The Vagrant Princess
by TheExplosiveBubble
Summary: An unexpected engagement calls for some unexpected plans...Whatever is a princess to do when duty comes in the way of freedom? SanadaXSakuno, TakaXFuji CHAPTER 8 UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Sakuno's heart felt light as she ran outside into the courtyard. The sky was a vivid blue that hosted a bright, cosmic sun. Mere wisps of cloud marred the nearly perfect sky, and similarly, not a cloud of discontent shadowed the young girl's face as she traipsed to the center of the garden. She gracefully dropped herself to the ground, sleepy brown eyes gazing at the large expanse of blue above her. The wind sang quietly as it compelled the lilies all about her to dance, and in that moment, Sakuno knew that all her belief in happiness and goodness was true, civil war or no civil war.

"Princess Sakuno!"

A call came from one of the doorways in the castle wall. The voice, though exasperated in its tone, was soft and quite understanding of the princess's moment of childishness. Sakuno turned her head slightly to see her tutor and trusted mentor approaching, his cool blue eyes open and a small smile poised on his face.

She gave no response to his earlier call, and with a sigh, the older man sat down beside her.

"Certainly you know, Your Highness, that it is very unbecoming for a young woman—especially a princess—to run through the halls, away from an important lesson, to instead lie down in the middle of a garden," her tutor gently chastised.

A sweet smile spread across her face as she replied, "If being a princess requires acting perpetually stiff yet well informed, I'd rather be an uneducated fisherman's daughter and run on a beach barefoot all the day long. There are too many responsibilities when as you get older. If I could have my way, Fuji, I would never grow older than fifteen!"

"And yet you will be sixteen soon," Fuji reminded her.

A pout crossed the girl's face. "Oh, Fuji, stop being such a stick in the mud. You're hardly older than I am. Can't you at least be thankful that the war with Fudomine has finally ended?"

The smile on Fuji's face slowly diminished as he regarded the princess seriously as he spoke, "Yes, I would be thankful, but the message that your brother sent from the border was quite…vague. I do not consider myself cynical, but Prince Ryoma did not even make a statement about whom the victor was. We _could_ have lost the war."

"_Not _cynical?" Sakuno asked, as she closed her eyes. "You tell me that I'm too old to act childish. Well, I shall tell you, Fuji, that you are too young to speak in such a way."

Fuji was quiet as he lifted his eyes to the sky. There was such uproar over a single message from the prince.

_The war is ended. I shall return shortly. Signed, the Crown Prince of Seigaku, Ryoma._

The entire castle seemed torn between excitement and the same apprehension which Fuji felt. The past few days were spent in anxious wonderment, anticipating the return of the king and Prince Ryoma. With them would come details.

The noise of running feet caught Fuji's attention, and he saw a page, quite out of breath, bursting from the same door he himself had earlier come from. Fuji stood to meet the black-haired boy.

Speaking haggardly between gasps for air, he said, "Prince Ryoma…has…returned from…Fudomine. He is with…the Queen…they wish for Princess Sakuno…to join them in the conference room."

Fuji nodded. "Yes, of course. Thank you, Kachiro."

By this time Sakuno had sat up, her eyes gleaming with quiet enthusiasm. Fuji glanced over his shoulder at her, contemplating whether or not to ask his next question.

"And the king, Kachiro? You did not mention him."

The slender boy seemed to almost flinch under the weight of the inquiry. As he hesitated, Fuji could feel a cold slip over the courtyard. Sakuno resumed staring at the sky only to see the sun slip behind a growing thunderhead.

"The king did not return alive."

Fuji heard the choked gasp behind him, and his own eyes grew faint.

"Thank you, Kachiro," he nearly whispered.

The page gave a shaky bow and quickly retreated from the courtyard. Fuji quietly returned his attention the princess who sat rigidly, staring at the sky's intruder. He could see the water welling in her eyes. Slowly, he knelt beside her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. A tear slid down her pale face.

"Your highness," he began, a bit unsure of what to say, "there will be grief, but it is your duty as princess of Seigaku to remain strong for everyone else. Your brother and grandmother need you to be strong with them."

Though her lips trembled, no more tears emerged from Sakuno's eyes. Her eyes numbly shifted to Fuji, and he reached a hand to wipe away the wet trail on her cheek. Her lips moved, but no words came out. Fuji wrapped his arm around her as she finally collapsed against him, silent and tearless sobs shaking her small frame. The courtyard's light grew darker above them as the wind dragged more clouds across the sky, and the scent of rain permeated the air.

"Fuji?" The trembling girl finally managed a coherent whisper. "Does this mean…that we _did_ lose?"

She lifted her head to look at him, and it was no comfort to see how grave his face had become.

"It would be wise to assume the worst, Sakuno."

* * *

The tension in the room was nearly tangible. Ryoma silently regarded the scene before him, a whirlpool of despair and utter annoyance swirling about inside of him. His face held a façade of apathy as his grandmother played the part of hostess to the officers from Fudomine. On and on went comments about how foolish she had thought the war was, and frankly, she was glad that the whole shenanigan was over and that life could return to some semblance of order; on and on she prattled.

Ryoma resisted the urge to growl. _Of course you supported the war. You wanted us to crush the Fudomine rebels more than Father did. Yet who's dead now?_

The group sat at a long table in a rather small room. It was almost claustrophobic were it not for the windows at the southern wall. The queen and he sat on one side of the table; Tezuka, the royal scribe, also sat beside the queen as he prepared papers and ink. Their four guests from Fudomine sat before them. Recognizing a feral strength about the leader, Ryoma stared at the man with his dark hair and equally dark eyes. Tachibana, he had called himself. He was their _king_, or so the others called him. Ryoma quickly shifted his gaze to the windows, his fists inadvertently clenching on his lap.

_Tachibana, King of Fudomine…king of barbarians, more like…and the others…_

He peeked briefly at the others—two rather slender men, one with long, black hair and the other sporting cropped red hair, sat on either side of Tachibana. Both looked uncomfortable. Beside the redhead was yet another guest, a young woman with large eyes glimmering with a sharp intelligence that intrigued Ryoma. The prince tensed when the girl, having noticed his gaze, glanced towards him. For a moment, their eyes locked, and she smiled—a smile that seemed to apologize for the situation, for the war, for his father's death. Too surprised to even think of returning it, Ryoma's thoughts were quickly broken by the polite knock upon the room's door.

Fuji entered the room, and with a deep bow directed at the queen, he spoke, "Your granddaughter, Princess Sakuno."

Belying the new lines surrounding her eyes and mouth, the queen allowed herself a mock-genuine smile.

"Wonderful. Send her in, Fuji."

He promptly returned to the hallway only to be replaced by the petite girl, dressed in a simple blue gown and her long hair braided. Although her face was already quite grim upon entering, a look of surprise passed over his visage when she became aware of the four extra people in the room. However, she quickly remembered her place and curtsied to the queen.

"I'm glad that you have joined us, Sakuno. Please sit down so that we may continue the meeting with our friends from Fudomine," the queen said, with that smile still drawn tightly across her face.

_Friends?_

The thought seemed to flutter through everyone's minds.

Talk of borders and withdrawal of military and political forces droned on between the queen, Tezuka, Tachibana, and the ever-muttering assistant from Fudomine. Ryoma could not help but notice the perspiration on Sakuno's neck. She had not uttered a word since she had taken her seat beside him, and the only noises he noticed was an occasional clearing of her throat. His sister soon nudged her hand against his, trying to get his attention. With a perturbed flick of his own hand, he looked at out of the corner of his eye.

_What?_ He could see the questions floating behind her eyes, but he felt that none of them would be ones that he could rightly answer.

_Why does Grandmother want me here? _Sakuno seemed to silently ask.

"It is a bit boring, isn't it?" a kind, soft voice whispered from across the table.

Startled, Ryoma looked up to see the young woman from Fudomine smiling sympathetically. Sakuno also stared at the woman. Even the redhead who sat beside her, uninvolved in the others' discussion, was discreetly listening.

While the two Seigaku royals just stared, the woman continued in a low voice.

"I'm An. The 'scary' one over there," she said, pointing to Tachibana, "is my brother. Whatever politics he's involved in, I'm involved in as well. I'm sorry that you're not as used to the…monotony of such meetings."

Ryoma realized that her words were directed more to Sakuno, and it was relieving to see that An's infectious smile had encouraged Sakuno to smile a little herself. However, the other woman unexpectedly displayed her boldness when—winking at Sakuno—she spoke up to the entire group.

"Excuse me, I understand that all of this is important, but surely it is not necessary to keep the highness, Princess Sakuno here. She seems tired."

Ryoma's eye twitched at the woman's confidence. Tezuka gave only a fleeting look and then presumed writing, continuing to ignore his surroundings. The long haired man from Fudomine, however, was grumbling something to Tezuka, still trying to get the other's attention. The only ones who acknowledged An's words were the queen and Tachibana. The queen's face had returned to an austere expression, and Tachibana was giving his younger sister a reproving—yet somewhat amused—look.

The queen then proceeded to say, "Ah, yes, Sakuno. It is very important that she remain here. I had already mentioned the idea to you, Tachibana. It is a sign of treaty between nations that my kingdom Seigaku has used before. If you would accept, Tachibana, I wish to offer my granddaughter's hand in marriage."

Ryoma eyes widened, but beyond that, he tried to hide all form of shock from his face. Sakuno's face had paled in unpleasant surprise; any words spoken afterward were blurred in her mind as the word _marriage_ echoed over and over.

_Marriage? …to Tachibana…to a rebel of Fudomine?!_

Remembering how excitable his sister could be, Ryoma whispered to Sakuno if she was alright; already, the queen was talking Tachibana's ear off about how such a marriage alliance could strengthen the bond between Seigaku and Fudomine. Sakuno seemed to have gone deaf. An was watching their interactions, a concerned look across her face.

"Sakuno?" Ryoma tried whispering to her again.

Least expected of all was when the princess suddenly went limp and fell from her chair, silencing all discussions in the room. Ryoma barely caught her before she landed on the stone floor. Even the redheaded man from Fudomine had instinctly stood up; An was beside him, asking if the princess was alright. Tezuka briefly paused only to continue his relentless writing about gods-knew-what; on the other hand, the mumbler had been silenced. The queen looked just short of fainting herself, and Tachibana appeared somewhat embarrassed.

Chagrined, the queen spoke in a shaky voice, "Well, I'm sure all of this is a bit overwhelming for the girl. Perhaps she should rest."

Kneeling with his arms wrapped around his twin sister, Ryoma frowned deeply. _Rest? She practically died on the spot..._

He was surprised when An suddenly appeared before him on her knees as well. With another one of her apologetic smiles, she helped him pick up the comatose princess. Once he had her secure in his grip, he nodded to the queen and left the room.

Occasionally having to readjust his grip on the slender girl, Ryoma felt the fire inside of him flickering like the tail of an irritated cat as he carried Sakuno to her room. He knew he lacked a candid form of brotherly affection, but he did care for this fragile creature in his arms. His hand tightened on her shoulder as he vowed to prevent any such blood alliance to be formed. He would never give his sister away to a rebel from Fudomine, for nothing good could possibly come from a country that was built upon subversion. His lips pulled into a grim line as he recalled the three guerrilla soldiers who had sat so primly before his grandmother. He had to dispel the images of An that also came to his mind, even when a strange gut feeling kept insisting that she had followed him from the conference room.

He just snorted as he thought, _Politics are for dogs, anyway_. _War and politics make us all paranoid idiots._

That was when he nearly jumped out of his skin when someone suddenly tapped his soldier while a door to a study beside him abruptly opened.

"Hello!" the annoyingly cheery voice of An chirped from behind him.

"Oh! Excuse me, Your Highness--" the statement came from Fuji who was carrying a stack of books in his arms. He blankly took in the scene before him: an unconcious princess in the arms of her brother and a small, redheaded woman standing behind the prince.

"Is the meeting over?" Fuji asked.

Ryoma simply sighed in his exasperation; "You could say that."

**CHAPTER ONE - END**

**

* * *

**

A/N: Well...yes, it's an AU fic, and because of that, I apologize only halfheartedly for OOC characters. Hee... Anyway, please enjoy! I've already plotted this story, so hopefully, chapters will be updated frequently......


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As wakefulness slowly slipped back into its place, the first thing Sakuno was aware of was the throbbing in her temples. Alleviating was a cool, wet sensation upon her forehead. Her eyes moved silently beneath their eyelids as her ears picked up on a gentle murmuring, blurred voices speaking about her. She could feel a blanket covering and could smell—

Liquid brown eyes snapped open as her hand flailed to her gasping mouth—hoping to swat away the painfully spicy odor that invaded her senses. Blinded somewhat by the lamplight, she squinted to see who had been around her and what she had the misfortune to smell.

"That worked well enough," a dry voice commented; "Why didn't you use waking spices sooner, Fuji?"

"What a loving brother," scoffed the titillating voice of a woman.

"It's not like the spices hurt her," the male voice bit back.

"Please, your highness, Lady An," the voice closest to Sakuno interrupted, "she should be awake now."

A cold hand gently shook her shoulder, and she fully opened her eyes. She was in her personal lounge in the company of her tutor, her brother with his usual apathetic frown, and the woman from the earlier meeting as well as her redheaded guard. The woman's face, although kind in its shape and air, caused a violent stirring of memory in Sakuno. Her dazed cognizance immediately became alert.

"I can't get married!" she all but shrieked.

"Ah, the banshee awakes," Ryoma drawled, propping his feet up on a footstool.

She had been lying on a sofa with a blanket on top of her, and Fuji was kneeling at her side. Pushing the blanket off of her, she rose to her feet and was soon set into a pace; Fuji quickly stood, as well, assuring himself that the hysteric girl wouldn't faint again.

"Why would grandmother even think it necessary?" she seemed to ask to no one in particular. "I'm only _fifteen_! I'm too young to marry!"

Ryoma's frown deepened. "I'm only fifteen, too, yet I went off to war with father."

"Now, there's an argument we should avoid," An admonished, her brown eyes resting on the prince.

As if noticing the presence of the Fudomine woman for the first time, Sakuno flinched and abruptly stopped her pacing. Shakily, she turned to face the older woman.

"The meeting? I didn't ruin anything, did I?" the princess asked.

"Well, your swoon certainly shook up your grandmother, but…she was already a bit tense," An recounted and then continued with a smile, "Speaking of which, I think all of us need to sit down and take a few deep breaths before we solve all of the world's problems."

Sakuno, more than willing to agree, dropped back onto the sofa, her hand having caught Fuji's arm. He sat down beside her, and she weakly leaned against him.

While they were situating themselves, An whispered to the redheaded guard beside her, "Kamio, you should sit, too. Really, you're among friends; there's no need to be so formal."

Sakuno's eyes tiredly followed the young guard's hesitancy before he gingerly sat beside An. She smiled her approval at him and then returned her attention to Sakuno, but noticing Ryoma's detachment, she kicked his legs off of the footstool.

"What?" he demanded, suddenly straightening in his seat. With a glare sent to An; "You are rude."

"And you are not, Your Highness?"

"I have good reasons to be rude."

"_Well_—"

"Lady An," Fuji interposed. His arm was now wrapped around Sakuno's shoulders as the girl rested against him. Her franticness had worn on him like sandpaper.

Remembering her place, An chose then to ignore the prince. The redheaded woman now spoke only to Sakuno, "Does marriage truly frighten you?"

Sakuno slowly shook her head. "It's just…"

"Marriage to the man who…potentially killed her father," Fuji finished for her.

An slumped against the back of the sofa she and Kamio sat on. She thoughtfully nodded and seemed to be thinking about something troubling. Ryoma cleared his throat, but instead of contributing to the discussion, he once again propped his feet onto the stool. When nothing else was said, Sakuno closed her eyes and turned her face into Fuji's shoulders. It was Fuji who spoke up next.

"We should give word to the queen that Sakuno is alright; if we wait any longer, she might do something drastic," he mused. "She has been exceptionally outrageous these past few days."

An broke her reverie with the statement, "Or we _could_ tell the queen that Sakuno went back to sleep…meanwhile, Sakuno could really be—"

"She could really be what?" Ryoma sarcastically cut her off. "Running away?"

A mischievous glow alighted across An's face. "Yes, actually."

Sakuno's eyes popped open at the idea; Ryoma just stared at An with bored skepticism; Fuji was curiously looking at her as if she had sprouted extra ears; even Kamio shifted uncomfortably.

"Ah, Lady An," the guard nervously spoke up, "how would Lord Tachibana react to such an idea?"

She just shook her head at Kamio. "There wouldn't be a reaction; I'm positive that he wouldn't care."

"But _where _would I go?" Sakuno asked. She had sat up, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

"And certainly, she can't do it alone," Fuji added.

"Not only is that thing rude, she's insane," Ryoma murmured to himself.

Ignoring Ryoma's nearly inaudible comment, An recommended that Fuji remain with her. After all, he could be trusted to care for her.

"But _where_?" Sakuno insisted, an excited whine entering her voice.

There was a brief silence.

"Rikkaidai," Ryoma said.

When everyone questioningly looked at him, he just shrugged.

"It's the last place anyone would expect royalty to go into hiding."

* * *

"A disguise will be necessary," Fuji stated, looking the tired princess over.

Fuji and Sakuno were sitting in the stable, waiting. An had long since returned to her brother, and Ryoma dispatched the group's lie about the princess. If all went well for the time being, the queen would believe the tale and would not disturb the "sleeping" princess—who was supposedly in her room.

Daylight had long since passed, and as Sakuno stared out one of the high windows of the stable, she could see the final strands of pink clouds fading. Everything in the past few hours seemed so foreign and so detached from what she was now doing. Running away? To Rikkaidai? Yes, no one may suspect that a princess of the prosperous nation Seigaku would ever travel to that wasted land. Mercenaries and vagrants abounded in that country, devoid of all law or government. Following the epidemic that ravaged Rikkaidai, what was once a flourishing country had faded into separately governed towns and rugged mountains. She remembered hearing the stories—Prince Seiichi had been infected with the epidemic, and following the death of his only child, the king of Rikkaidai placed stewards over the land—four generals. The names of the generals escaped Sakuno; unfortunately, she had dismissed most information about the faraway country as unimportant. By day's voyage, the country could be reached, but it was that vast body of water—Kirihara Lake—that muted the epidemic and the politics.

The stable's door scraped open, and as anxious as Sakuno was, she was greatly relieved to see that it was only Kachiro returning, An close on his tail. The boy had brought the fugitives some food and also clothes for Sakuno to disguise herself as a boy. An was speaking in subdued excitement to Fuji about the docks. Sakuno only half-listened to their conversation when she slipped into a vacant stall, to change into the clothes that Kachiro had given to her. Discarding her gown, she looked upon the simple tan pants and dark green tunic. Clean but made of coarse fabric, these clothes would be a sign that she was a mere commoner—of unimportant descent. She folded her dress over her arm and emerged from the stall. The quiet conversation between An and Fuji brusquely ended, and all pairs of eyes were upon her.

"Sakuno, your hair," Fuji stated flatly, "is too long."

An nodded. "I agree with you, Fuji. Although her lack of curves can make her look boyish, the long hair is a bit of a setback."

Aghast that the An had practically said that the princess looked like a boy, Sakuno felt her face color with an embarrassed blush.

"Well," the princess began but was soon cut short.

"Kachiro, do you know of any shears that are kept in here?" Fuji asked the timid boy who was hovering by the door.

Sakuno just sighed. It seemed that most of this plan would be out of her hands.

* * *

The most uneventful time to be guarding one of the gates of the castle—especially a side entrance—would have to be the lonely hours which followed midnight. Inui's musings switched from that realization to a recipe he kept mulling over in his mind. He paced back and forth on the top of the wall over the gate, crossbow secure in his arms. He suddenly stopped his pacing and turned his attention to his fellow guard below him.

"Hey, Kaidoh," he called in a low voice. "I thought that if I used carrots instead of turnips in my next drink that it will not only taste better, the additional carotene would be useful. Perhaps, I could also throw in some fish oil and onions to help with digestion. What do you think?"

The younger guard, below Inui and crouched at the gate, released a hissing sigh. Turning his head to look up, he reminded Inui that it was his many experiments—namely the one that was somehow given to the royal scribe—that had caused his banishment from the kitchens.

The glasses resting on Inui's nose glinted in the dim light of the nearby torches.

"Yes, but that can easily be avoided," Inui said with a frightening smirk.

On went their usual conversation about ingredients and consequences, the occasional chuckle coming from Inui and the annoyed hiss from Kaidoh. This night was set out to be like any other uneventful night.

That was until Kaidoh caught a glimpse of movement from across the courtyard. Although the outer wall was not far from the castle, Kaidoh was aware that it would not be difficult for someone to slip outside without making any noise. What was truly unexpected was when two figures became discernable in the darkness, approaching the gate. The younger guard whistled up to Inui—who had been distracted by his own monologue about cabbages, rabbit organs, and barley.

"Hm?" Inui now looked at the approaching couple. From a distance, it looked like a noble and one of the pages. He wondered what business they had at such an absurd hour.

"Who goes there?" Kaidoh called out.

A large shadow suddenly swooped in front of his face, and the young guard nearly fell backwards. Inui stood beside the spooked guard, asking if he was okay. Kaidoh simply glowered in response as this had not been the first time Inui had suddenly jumped down without warning. The tall man returned his attention to the two visitors, and recognizing the one instantly, he found himself understanding the situation before it was even explained.

"Fuji," Inui stated, noticing how the brunette was keeping someone else behind him; "Why are you out so late?"

"There has been a family emergency that I've just learned of. I have been given permission to leave immediately," Fuji replied in a steady voice.

"Ah, you must travel all the way to Rikkaidai, then?" Inui asked with a knowing smirk. "Is Her Highness traveling with you or simply bidding you goodbye?"

Neither flinching nor appearing surprised, Fuji's own smile grew as he released his tight hold on Sakuno. She came out from behind, barely recognizable in Kachiro's clothing and her newly cropped hair that now barely grazed her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Inui," the young man said; "You always know my intentions so well. I shouldn't have tried to lie in the first place."

"Your true business, then? There is a rumor amongst the servants and guards that our princess is to be married? Yet, you are here with her, presumably going somewhere?"

"Yes, I cannot lie since you seem to know every detail. To avoid what Prince Ryoma and I believe to be a superfluous alliance, I have been entrusted with taking Sakuno away for a time."

"Where to?"

"…Rikkaidai."

"So you _are _going to Rikkaidai," he said, regarding Fuji with an air of solemnity, and with a contemplative nod, he further remarked, "You would be the best to take her there. Will it be hard for you?"

Although it was an unpretentious question, the other two uninvolved in the conversation could sense an undertone. Sakuno nervously looked at Fuji's mask-like face; Kaidoh, seemingly ignoring the exchange, stole a fleeting glance at Inui.

A smile still firmly in place, Fuji responded, "It would be hard for either of us, wouldn't it?"

"Yes—I suppose it could be," Inui continued; "Kaidoh, we are letting them pass. Unlock the gate."

Despite how brash such an action would be for two mere gatekeepers, Kaidoh was used to Inui's strange combination of luck and logic, and he did as he was told.

* * *

The chilly summer night was slowly diminishing into the West as slants of early morning light struck the water. Sakuno stayed close behind Fuji as he led her through the wharf, looking for any merchant ship that was bound for Rikkaidai. Her nose wrinkled as the unfamiliar odors of fish and wet wood wafted about her. She had always been sheltered, and while the sense of adventure thrilled through her petite body, it was still frightening to be surrounded by the large ships and the burly sailors who manned them. How hard she now tried to remember that she needed to act like a boy while she desperately wished to cling to Fuji.

Suddenly, he stopped walking, and she almost collided with his back. Peering around him, she saw what she perceived as a medium-sized ship. From the look of cargo being lifted and pushed aboard, it was a merchant ship, exporting foods, fabrics, and some animals. There didn't seem to be anyone in charge, so Fuji approached the nearest sailor—a lanky boy with short black hair, a long red band tied around his head. When asked about a supervisor, the adolescent pointed to the deck and resumed his own business.

Fuji approached the gangway of the ship with Sakuno following his steps closely. When her escort called up to the men on deck that he wished to see the captain, the girl—regardless that she was supposed to act like a boy—felt tiny as an incredibly tall yet young man walked down the gangplank to meet them. Despite his intimidating stature, his black eyes shimmered with youth, and there was an amiable smile on his face as he approached Fuji and Sakuno. Immediately, he offered his hand for a handshake.

"Yeah, I'm the captain," the man started; "how can I help you two?"

"My name is Yuuta," Fuji lied, relating to the captain his fabricated story; "This is my brother Tetsuya. We want to go to Rikkaidai to find work; everything that we had in Seigaku was lost during the fires in west quarter of the city.

The captain genuinely looked sorry. "Yeah, I heard about those fires. I'm not from around here, but they sure sounded bad," Without a moment's hesitation, he added, "You can come along if you don't mind being a bit snug. This here ship ain't made for people, but we can figure something out."

He gestured for them to follow him as he walked back up the gangplank. "My name's Ishida if you need anything during the trip. It's only a day long, so maybe shouldn't be too many problems. A place to sleep, we can provide a small space; food...well, I think you're on your own there. Sorry."

"Do we need to pay you anything, captain?" Fuji asked, surprised that it had been this easy to get on board.

"Pay?" Ishida looked dumbfounded as if the idea had never crossed his mind.

He hesitated and looked around the dock before gesturing toward an old man sitting a ways from the ship at a makeshift desk. "Since there's hardly no room for extra people, he might throw a fit of some sort if his goods are hurt. If you want to pay, talk to him about it."

Fuji shooed Sakuno onto the deck with the brief words that he would be back shortly. Still disoriented, she just looked after him and then looked over at Captain Ishida who had resumed moving crates. At first wandering around the deck, jumping out of men's way, tripping over piles of rope, Sakuno found an untouched corner that she could crouch in without being a hindrance.

Shouts had erupted on the port opposite of Sakuno, but following a sleepless night, the tired girl was listless, and her head drooped a little onto her chest. She could feel running feet shaking the deck and thuds following the shouts. Fuji still hadn't returned, and she was wondering what was taking him so long. Sleep's invitation was tempting, and the gentle sway of the boat lulled her—until she realized that the boat was rocking far more than it should at a port. In her stupor, she sluggishly opened her eyes and dragged herself to her feet.

A quiet gasp burst from her lips when the first sight that met her was the seemingly endless stretch of lake water.

**CHAPTER TWO - END**

* * *

A/N: Okay...something that may be confusing--Seigaku is a kingdom, as is Fudomine and Rikkaidai. In Rikkaidai, there are the towns/regions of Rokkaku, Yamabuki, Higa, and Shitenhouji. But, anyway, that will be touched upon in future chapters. I apologize if that's terribly confusing!

But--chapter two......I hope that you enjoyed it, haha...

update: Thank you, Tenshin-no-Tsubasa, for pointing out the confusion about Fuji _Syusuke's_ disguise. He assumed Yuuta's name for discretion...not because he _is _Yuuta. My bad...sorry.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Rushing to the port and then the stern of the ship, once again avoiding the working sailors, Sakuno finally caught a glimpse of the fading land. Although she had scoured the entire upper deck of the ship—her lack of grace upon seawater being a source of amusement for many sailors who witnessed her running about—she did not know where Fuji was; she knew that he would have returned to her had he been on the ship.

In her distress and careless running about, she didn't see the large man until she had run straight into him.

"Watch where you're going, whelp!" a deep voice said from above her as the man shoved her away.

"Mr. Akazawa?" another male voice questioned.

She stumbled backward but was caught by another man, smaller and paler than the first. During the rescue, he had barely kept a hold of a quill and clipboard in one hand. She saw the two men better as her helper steadied her. The one was tall like Captain Ishida but lacked the approachability; tan with long hair and strong eyes, he certainly looked the way Sakuno envisioned the type of men she would see in Rikkaidai. The other was shorter with dark hair, sheared close to the head. He seemed unsure of whatever he was about to say, for his mouth kept twitching between a frown and a polite smile; his eyes, flitting about and unable to maintain eye contact with anyone else.

"Mr. Akazawa," the nervous man said again, "I don't think you need to be shoving around the workers even if they are clumsy."

Akazawa snorted; "This whelp—working? Kaneda, he's too puny to be a sailor."

"Still," Kaneda's voice trailed, so he instead turned his attention to Sakuno. "I'm Kaneda. If you are not a sailor, who are you?"

Her brain felt numb, but she desperately searched it for the story that Fuji had been giving earlier—

"I'm Tetsuya. My family in Seigaku is all gone, and I want to work in Rikkaidai."

Akazawa growled in annoyance. "So you're a stowaway who plays around on deck, running into people?"

"N-no, sir! I was allowed to board."

Akazawa remained skeptical, staring down at the "boy" with slight disdain. Kaneda, on the other hand, seemed to believe "Tetsuya's" story and was more willing to be sympathetic.

"Ah, sir, it would not make sense if he were a stowaway because…just as you said, he wouldn't be on deck. He must be telling the truth," Kaneda said to the larger man.

Akazawa made a 'hmph' noise and then retorted, "As long as he stays out of the way for the remainder of this voyage, I could care less what idiotic creatures Captain Ishida allowed onto his ship."

Following was a brief silence, but Akazawa quickly broke it by ordering Kaneda to finish looking through the inventory orders and then walking away. Sakuno, thoroughly subdued, felt herself sigh in relief that the man had left without a making more of a fuss. One of her hands inadvertently groped for one of her braids to twiddle with only to again realize that her hair was much shorter now. Her large eyes, now reflecting a quiet hopelessness, looked out at the choppy water. The combination of her panic and of the boat's swaying was not agreeing with her stomach, and she was certain that the aggravated organ would soon empty itself of its contents if she did not find something solid to stand upon.

"Do you need to sit down? You look green." She recognized the voice of Kaneda, and she looked over at him thumbing through the thick stack of papers in his clipboard before returning his full attention to her.

In turn, she gave only a weak nod. He smiled compassionately, and once again balancing his papers in one hand, he grasped her arm and led her to a cabin—what normally would have been captain's quarters but in the small merchant ship had been converted into a temporary office. He helped her sit in one of the chairs, and without asking her, he promptly found a mug and poured some water from a carafe.

As she sipped the water to calm her unsettled stomach, Kaneda tried to converse lightly as he leaned against the wall beside her.

"So, are you traveling alone? You're rather young to be alone on a ship headed for a foreign country," he remarked lightly.

Sakuno thought of her answer while contemplating the waves of liquid in the cup—before realizing that staring at it only seemed to intensify the swaying of the boat. Shutting her sore eyes, she nodded her head.

"I am alone," she said quietly.

Kaneda, unsure of what to say next, simply nodded himself.

"Well," he began; "we should arrive at the Rokkaku port by evening. You can try to find work there, or if you want, ah…most of Mr. Akazawa's stock goes to shops in Yamabuki in the mountains. …Maybe you could accompany us."

After taking another sip, Sakuno replied, "Are you from Rikkaidai?"

Surprised by the sudden question, Kaneda stumbled over the next statement; "Uh, yes, I grew up in Rikkaidai. My parents moved to Seigaku during the epidemic, but I've returned to work with Mr. Akazawa."

"Is it…nice there?" Sakuno bluntly asked.

The tension broke as Kaneda laughed. "Contrary to popular belief, yes, Rikkaidai is a beautiful country. It is weathered a bit—after the plague and the division of the government—but I think the people of Rikkaidai emerged from that hard time stronger and…kinder."

At Kaneda's soft enthusiasm about his native country, Sakuno's trepidation was somewhat relieved. If she could stay with this man for the time being, she could feel safe. She knew that she could trust him. Akazawa, however—

At that moment, Akazawa roughly entered the room, saying, "Kaneda, there's a problem below deck. Either something is missing or misplaced; I need to see your lists _now_."

"Oh—yes, sir," Kaneda immediately pushed himself off of the wall and retrieved his thick stack of papers.

After giving Sakuno another look of distaste, Akazawa left the room as quickly as he had come, obviously expecting his associate to follow. Kaneda, too, headed for the door but turned to address Sakuno once more.

"Ah, 'Tetsuya,' you said?" he inquired.

"Yes."

"Well, Tetsuya, we can speak later. Remember, this evening we dock in Rikkaidai."

And with that, he left. Her hands tightened and then loosened on the cup she was holding. Resisting the urge to cry, Sakuno took another gulp of the water.

_In Rikkaidai. This evening. I'm now Tetsuya, not Sakuno. There's no Fuji, just me. Alone and at the mercy of whomever I meet. I tell people that Tetsuya has lost everything; well…so has Princess Sakuno._

All that remained for her to do was to wait until the evening.

* * *

He should have been watching; he should have been more aggressive with the stingy old merchant about his beloved cargo. Of all moments to be careless, he had chosen the most unfortunate of all times. This is what the wonderful, attentive nursemaid had been assigned to do—protect the princess, go with the princess, leave her on a ship that set sails without you.

Fuji cursed his lack of attention; if the prince heard of this, he would be livid. Nevertheless, he knew that he would have to send a message explaining the situation to Ryoma. It would be dutiful of him. Standing at the edge of the dock, staring at the fading speck on the horizon and realizing that a princess disguised as a boy was on that speck of a ship, he felt disheartened.

However, he closed his eyes for a moment, reminding himself that moping never solved problems—instead a good dose of intimidation might. The muscles of his neck taut and his teeth gritted, he returned to the desk of the old merchant.

At first, Fuji was ignored. But as the man rudely refused to look up from his record books, Fuji nimbly slipped his hand under the binding and snapped it shut. The man exclaimed some unintelligible word before trying to glare at the intruder, only to meet a superior, icy stare. The man seemed to visibly shrink in his chair.

"Sir, I paid for two passengers, but only one set sail," Fuji spoke with clear, slow precision; "When does the next ship for Rikkaidai leave?"

The man stuttered, "Y-you paid for the _Silver Maiden_. I cannot give you permission to board another ship."

A outwardly sweet smile spread across Fuji's pale face as he leaned closer to the man; "Maybe you did not understand me. I need to go to Rikkaidai because someone very important has been separated from me. It is unacceptable that I do not meet them again."

The merchant was regaining some of his earlier pickiness as he began, "It does not matter—"

"Kajimoto," Fuji stated in a low voice, the smile now gone; "Is that name familiar, sir?"

At the mention of the infamous gang leader, the merchant paled but didn't say anything.

"Well," Fuji went on, "it would be terrible if someone couldn't come to work because he had been stabbed to death and tossed into a river, wouldn't it?"

The man was noticeably sweating, and devoid of his earlier pomp, he quickly ripped a sheet of paper from a tablet and wrote upon it. The same time, he muttered something about giving Fuji passage upon the noontide ship for Rikkaidai while flicking the paper at the brunette.

Accepting the paper with a sunshiny smile, Fuji straightened and simply walked away. Despite the fact that he still had to write a message concerning the predicament to Prince Ryoma, Fuji couldn't help but continue smiling at the past exchange. Old friends could truly become useful. Though it was peculiar that someone with acquaintances like himself would have ever ended up being the tutor of a princess, and the thought was disturbingly entertaining. Memories of his childhood, of sharing dreams and laughs without a care for the future, flooded his mind as he walked to the nearest tavern where he could wait until the next ship.

Everything had changed so quickly.

_"Why stay, Fuji? There's nothing left here."_

The familiar voice reverberated inside an old memory of Fuji's. His feet stopped moving as the words continued filtering noiselessly through his head. Feeling the warming sensation of the early morning summer sun on his back, Fuji stared at the waves of water beside the pier as though the pictures in his mind eye were being replayed on the ocean's surface.

_"And what would be the point of leaving, Inui? 'Nothing' may be left here, but running away to another country wouldn't solve anything."_

_Fuji was sitting at a table in a airy room, the common room of a restaurant, presumably. Beside him were Inui and another equally young brunette._

_Inui grinned. "I have a cousin in Seigaku—a teacher at the King's castle. Maybe he can get us work."_

_The other brunette released a laugh. "_You_, Inui? What would you do? Poison people?"_

_"Why don't you join him, Kajimoto?" Fuji piped up in defense of Inui. "You already abandoned Jyousei to come here. Country-hopping doesn't seem to bother you."_

_With a smile, Kajimoto just shook his head. "Touché. But I'm afraid castles are not the type of place that I'm comfortable in. Not to mention, riding a ship just to get there."_

Fuji's vision clouded as the waves cut into the familiar faces from his youth—of that restaurant where they always met. It had been a bittersweet time, a combination of lost chances and faint hopes. It was then that they first acknowledged the existence of a world beyond Kirihara Lake.

Sighing, Fuji lifted his head and continued walking. "Noon," he murmured to himself; "I will be back in Rikkaidai in no less than two days."

_"You can come with Inui, Kajimoto, and me." _The voices of the past still lingered in his ears. He heard himself say; _"come with us to Seigaku."_

_"…You know I can't, Fuji. My dad is getting old, and he expects me to take over soon." This voice was new. "But you also don't have to leave Rikkaidai."_

"_My parents are dead; Yuuta's run away. My sister is married and settled. What would I stay for?" Fuji had childishly demanded in return._

_The voice of the other man was quiet; "Do I have to answer that?"_

"But I'm returning, aren't I?" Fuji asked bitterly to no one in particular.

Risking another glance at the water, the face looking back at him was still the youthful face of the man from his adolescence. His next step faltered.

"Aren't I—Taka?"

* * *

_There was a misunderstanding which separated us. Her Highness is already sailing_

_toward Rikkaidai, and I will only be able to start tomorrow. I know that I am entirely at fault and must be responsible for finding the princess. I apologize for my incompetence. - Fuji_

Ryoma read the note over and over, not wanting to believe that it was true. Of course it was a scenario that he had expected, but imagining his sister fending for herself on a ship bound for Rikkaidai brought forth mental images both amusing and terrifying.

"Your Highness?" Oishi tried to get the prince's attention. "I'm sorry if the message Kachiro gave you is important, but we should continue the lesson."

Ignoring his tutor, the young prince folded the note and stood up. "Excuse me, Sir Oishi, but I think that the ancient history of Hyotei is irrelevant enough to wait."

Exiting the room before his tutor could protest, Ryoma stalked down the hallway, and after questioning several servants and nobles whom he passed, he was able to locate his soon-to-be victim in a study close to her guest quarters. His eyes narrowed in annoyance at the scene that met him.

An sat upon a dark green divan, her legs curled up beside her, a book lying face up in her lap. Attention to the book had been relinquished as a long-haired cat was mewing and kneading one of her legs with his paws. Her dark brown eyes were set upon the cat as she gently scratched behind Karupin's ear, the cat purring contentedly. It was only when Ryoma sullenly stood before her that she noticed to the prince's presence.

"Hello, Your Highness," she greeted pleasantly, "Is this your cat?"

As a response, he simply handed her the note. With an incredulous face, An accepted the piece of paper and began to read as Karupin then turned his attention to Ryoma. The prince crouched to meet the animal who had dropped from the couch and was now weaving around the prince's feet. He was petting the cat's head when he heard An softly gasp. He resumed standing, waiting for An to say something.

"My," she began haltingly, "this is not good."

"Obviously, Lady An, the situation is not good," Ryoma remarked flatly.

"Well, what do you suggest we do?"

"What? This was _your_ idea in the first place. Why are you asking _me_?"

"If your sister is already on a ship, she's going to end up in Rikkaidai, anyway!"

"I know that! But she's _alone_! Sailors are superstitious; if they find out a woman is on their ship, who knows what they'll do—probably throw her overboard as a sacrifice!"

"Oh, now that's just ridiculous. Besides, Fuji said he would be following her. Maybe…" An's voice trailed in uncertainty.

There was a moment of hesitation; avoiding eye contact with each other, the room's two occupants absorbed the idea of Sakuno fending for herself in unknown terrain.

"Grandmother keeps mentioning how she wants the wedding to happen here before Lord Tachibana returns to Fudomine," Ryoma stated.

"He told me about that. He seemed worn out by the idea. It's a strange thing to win your freedom from a country only to have that country's princess forced onto you."

"Yet you don't think it strange to instantly befriend the children of your enemies," Ryoma asked rather pointedly.

With the same gleam in her eye that had fascinated him during their first meeting, An faced him. "Of course not. Why should I hate those who were never responsible?"

Desiring a change of subject, Ryoma sighed and flopped down onto the divan beside the woman and said, "Fuji is from Rikkaidai."

An started with surprise.

Ryoma continued, "It's not common knowledge in the castle, but he left his hometown of Rokkaku six years ago when he was fourteen. He should still have family there. If Sakuno can have enough sense to stay in one place once she reaches Rikkaidai, Fuji could catch up with her. They could possibly stay with his sister."

"Fuji from Rikkaidai," An repeated ponderingly.

Karupin jumped back onto the divan between the two sitting upon it. Vying for attention, the cat would rub his head against An's elbow and then playfully swat at Ryoma's leg. With a laugh, An finally pulled Karupin onto her lap while Ryoma remained in a morose reverie.

"I like your cat, Prince Ryoma," An said with a note of cheerfulness returning to her voice. "What's her name?"

Nearly a minute passed before he answered. "His name is Karupin."

"_His _name? Oh, he's a boy," An corrected herself with a giggle. "Sorry, Sir Karupin."

As An continued speaking nonsense to the cat, Ryoma soon interrupted;

"You do realize that it will only be a day or so until my grandmother finds out Sakuno and Fuji are missing, right? Your brother will probably wish to return to Fudomine soon."

"Yes," An spoke while still giving a belly rub to the spoiled cat; "He does want to leave soon, but…your grandmother will not react kindly to this situation, will she?"

Ryoma leaned onto his elbows, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "No, she will not. In fact, I'm dreading it."

**CHAPTER THREE - END**

* * *

A/N: Alright...not a very long chapter, but hopefully, the next one will make up for that. It's almost done, so maybe I can post it in the next couple of days. (I'm having fun writing it, haha...)

AND! I'm going to warn you in advance. Even though Sakuno is the _main_ character, there will still be mention of yaoi pairings in this story. If shounen ai is not your cup of tea, well...you can't say that I didn't warn you.

...oh yeah, Karupin _is _a boy...right? o.o


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Though it was nearing nightfall, the balmy summer evening generated much activity in the streets of Rokkaku. The late-setting sun cast red slants of light over the buildings beside the shore. Sakuno was perched on a railing of the pier as she watched the crowds of people dwindle. She had been told to remain out of the way while the inventory was transferred from the ship to carts and wagons. She had some opportunity to sleep during the voyage, but fatigue still crept upon her, tugging on her eyelids. The tide hitting the sand gently beneath her sounded so peaceful. She succumbed to the desire to close her eyes, and her head nodded onto her chest.

For a moment, she thought that she could feel the world rotating, but a hand quickly caught her arm before she fell, jolting her out of her trance.

"Tetsuya." Kaneda stood beside her, his hand securing her. "We're heading to the inn now."

Swaying slightly, Sakuno carefully dropped herself back onto the platform. "This is…Rokkaku, right?"

"Yes, the coastal towns," Kaneda promptly answered. "Yamabuki is still hours of travel away, so we need our rest tonight."

Sakuno only made a noise in turn and followed Kaneda dazedly. Ahead of them were the twin sailors—Ryo and Atsushi, Sakuno remembered Kaneda had called them. Akazawa then entered her line of vision as he was a few paces in front of the twins. Getting Kaneda's attention, she pointed discreetly at the tall, dark man.

"…does that man…mister…?"

"Akazawa?"

"Yes…does he mind that I'm going with you?" Sakuno did not find the idea of traveling with the man pleasant, but she felt deprived of any alternative.

Kaneda chuckled. "He was having a mood today mostly because of our most recent supplier, so it had nothing to do with you. Mr. Akazawa tends to get cranky after dealing with troublesome people like that."

Sakuno still wasn't sure if that was a relief to her or not.

It was then that the group arrived at an inn that was obviously meant for long distance travelers as it was very close to the wharf from which they had come. They entered into a large common area with tables and tall bay windows, opened for light and fresh air. There were some patrons sitting at tables with the remains of meals before them, so Sakuno assumed that the inn's downstairs was also a restaurant.

Akazawa approached a man standing behind a counter, a tall shadowbox filled with keys upon the wall behind him. Before Akazawa could say anything, the other man looked up and smiled with recognition.

"Mr. Akazawa, you're back already? That was a fast trip," he greeted lightly.

"Yes, well, we didn't need much this time," Akazawa answered. "If our usual room is available, I'd like to have that one, Mr. Saeki."

"Yes, of course, Mr. Akazawa."

The two men's voices faded from Sakuno's attention as she looked about the room some more. Most of the light came from the sun shining through the windows, but since darkness was falling, a worker lit lamps around the room. A young woman with a pleasant smile on her face emerged from a backroom to fetch dirty dishes off of the tables, and a small boy—four or five years of age, Sakuno guessed—trotted behind, wiping the tabletops.

Sakuno suddenly heard the voice of Saeki, calling, "Oh, Yumiko."

Turning, the woman smiled at Saeki and quickly walked over to him while still balancing a pile of dishes in her arms. "Yes?" she sweetly asked.

"You cleaned Room 22 today, didn't you?"

"Oh! Yes, I did; I think I still have the key," she said while shifting the weights in her arms; "My ring of keys are in the apron pocket."

Saeki conscientiously took some of the plates to free her right hand, and withdrawing the giant ring from her apron, she placed the keys onto the counter.

"Your usual party, Mr. Akazawa?" Saeki asked uncertainly, eyeing the twins and Sakuno.

"No; Kaneda and I will be sharing the room with the others," Akazawa replied.

Yumiko immediately piped up, "Well, you will certainly need more bedding then." With a twinkle in her eyes—"I doubt that all of you can fit in the bed."

Much to everyone's surprise, Akazawa just laughed at the statement while Kaneda noticeably colored and one of the twins cleared his throat.

"Well, that can easily be fixed," Yumiko said, still maintaining her sweet smile, seemingly oblivious to the innuendo she herself had made; she took back the pile of plates from Saeki as she said, "I'll get you boys some more quilts. Kohta, come help me."

The small boy who had been wiping tables immediately paused his task to follow the woman while answering, "Yes, mama."

"I can help you, too, ma'am," Kaneda hurriedly exclaimed, eager to leave the room.

With her only "friend" gone, Sakuno glanced at the silent twins, Akazawa who was waiting for a key, and Saeki who was flipping through the ring of keys in order to find the one for Room 22.

"Uh," Sakuno started hesitatingly, "I'll go see if they need more help."

No one seemed to notice her speaking, so she quickly sidled to the back door that she had seen Yumiko, her son, and Kaneda walk through. She accidentally ran straight into another man who had been coming out of the room while she had tried to enter it. However, before Sakuno could fall, she felt a strong arm catch her.

"I am so sorry! I didn't see you," the man said as he steadied her back onto her feet.

A tall man, he held himself similar to Ishida, so Sakuno immediately felt comfortable before the kind stranger. She nodded her head in a reserved greeting and apologized, saying that the collision had been her own fault.

"Did you need something?" he inquired.

"I—" Sakuno stumbled over her next words. "I was looking for—"

"Tetsuya?"

She heard Kaneda's voice behind the large man. Recognition passed over the man's face. "Oh, are you with Akazawa and Kaneda?"

Kaneda appeared beside the tall man, his arms laden with a pile of blankets. "Yes, Tetsuya is going with us to Yamabuki tomorrow. He's from Seigaku."

An indiscernible shadow briefly entered the other man's face before dissipating into another friendly smile. "Is he now? Well, it's not often that foreigners decide to settle here in Rikkaidai, is it?"

"No, it's not," Yumiko wistfully replied to no one in particular as she and Kohta squeezed past the group.

The other three followed just in time for Sakuno to see Yumiko and her son disappear into another side door behind the bar, and the tall man with the friendly smile joined Saeki at the opposite of the room where all the keys still glittered playfully from their hooks on the wall. The twins and Akazawa were absent, and she could only assume as Kaneda immediately headed for a stairway that the three of them were already in their room for the night.

As she clumsily followed Kaneda up the narrow stairwell, wondering how the young man could climb the steps so rapidly while carrying so much, curiosity finally overcame her.

"Do you know who that man was, Kaneda?"

"Sure. His family has owned this inn for as long as I can remember. His name is Taka. He's been in charge of the inn for some time now, and Mr. Saeki helps out. Mr. Saeki actually owns the restaurant, but they became a joint business when Taka took over for his father." He glanced over his shoulder at Sakuno who was attentively listening. "I remember Mrs. Saeki describing it to me once—how terrible the mess had been, combining the buildings. For the restaurant and his family's living quarters, they bought the place next to Taka's inn and did a lot of renovations. You know, tearing out walls, building up different walls, new floors, and on and on."

They came to Room 22, and because Kaneda lacked a free hand, Sakuno tried the doorknob and, finding it unlocked, opened it for him. Akazawa was standing by the window, his back to the door, and the twins were both kneeling on the floor, going through their knapsacks. At Kaneda and Sakuno's arrival, Atsushi stood to help spread the quilts in the corner of the room.

"So," Sakuno ventured again, "are you good friends with Mr. Saeki, Kaneda?"

As Kaneda smoothed out one of the quilts, he just shrugged. "Mr. Akazawa and I stay here often due to our frequent traveling. I'm not well acquainted with the family, but—"

"His wife loves to talk," Akazawa finished the statement for Kaneda.

"Well," Kaneda faltered but smiled, "yes, she does."

As the others freshened themselves with water from a basin in the corner, hushed conversation spattered here and there, Sakuno finally felt a wall of exhaustion slam against her, and she curled up against the quilts. The blanket shifted as someone sat beside her, but she only opened her eyes when Ryo nudged her. She struggled to sit up as he helped her to fold one of the blankets into a makeshift pillow. Once again, she flopped down with her eyes only half open. Atsushi and Ryo both settled themselves beside her, and in her blurry half-lidded vision, she saw an exchange between the other two men as Akazawa gave an unexpected peck on Kaneda's lips only to have the younger man swat him away albeit good-naturedly, another dark stain upon his cheeks.

Sakuno felt a smile tug her lips. Even without Fuji, she felt unusually safe. As someone extinguished the last bit of candlelight in the room, her eyes slid completely shut. With a trace of the smile still on her lips, sleep draped its veil around the tired princess.

(...)

The ground scraped beneath Sakuno's feet as she frantically gripped the rope tighter, simultaneously rubbing the palms of her hands raw with rope burn. The mule that she was charged with leading had become agitated and started to buck, threatening to dump its entire load onto the ground. Atsushi and Ryo quickly came to Sakuno's rescue, one of them taking the rope from the shaking girl and the other cautiously approaching the mule to calm it down.

"You were pulling him too hard," Ryo observed once he had soothed the animal's nervous state.

Nursing her sore hands, Sakuno just glared at the creature. Once Atsushi was sure that the mule had calmed down, he returned the rope to her.

"Is it all right?" Akazawa called from ahead where he and Kaneda were driving the cart.

"Yeah," Atsushi returned the call; he and his brother retook the reins of their mules.

_Thankfully, _Sakuno mused, as she watched the twins handled four mules themselves, _I only have one of these things to deal with—idiotic, brainless brute._

As if reading her mind, the mule stomped one of his hooves, causing the tense girl to jump. Atsushi looked back at her, but she assured him that everything was fine. The mule simply gave another derisive snort.

It was late in the morning, and the group traveled farther toward Yamabuki as they tread the rocky avenue into the mountains. They had begun to pass more people in the last hour, so Sakuno assumed that the village was near. The road was also wider and smoother here than it had been a few miles back where any wrong step could cause a nasty fall onto the rocks or into the thick underbrush.

In these past few hours spent in Rikkaidai, Sakuno had felt herself slowly being dissolved into the persona of Tetsuya. Her home in Seigaku, her servants, the duties and lessons—all of it blurred into an ethereal collection of distant memories even though it was but a few days before that she had still lived in that fantasy of an existence. As she thought about this, carefully stepping over a large root jutting from the ground and leading the mule over it as well, she felt the sturdy slip of paper in her pocket again. Her hand unconsciously moved over it and felt the card through the fabric of her pants. She recalled the strange interaction which she had with Mrs. Saeki this morning.

_Sakuno had been trailing Kaneda and Akazawa as they planned to purchase mules for the trek to Yamabuki. Before they left the inn, however, Kaneda insisted that as much as he appreciated her willingness to help, she wasn't needed. Not inclined to argue, Sakuno watched the pair disappear down the road where she had taken a seat beside one of the windows in the common room. _

_"Traveling to Yamabuki, are you?" a woman's voice asked._

_Startled, Sakuno looked up to see the same ever-smiling woman from the night before. Without asking, Yumiko sat down before the young girl and continued her friendly conversation._

_"Kaneda mentioned you were from Seigaku, yes?" The woman's smile grew. "I'm sorry, but I've forgotten your name. It was—?"_

"_Tetsuya," Sakuno quietly answered, still eyeing Yumiko cautiously._

_"Ah, yes. Kaneda _did_ call you that, didn't he?" Her eyes gleamed. "Well, for someone trying such an adventurous start in a new country, could I entice you with a bit of fortune-telling?"_

_Sakuno just stared, but Yumiko continued talking as though she had never expected an answer. _

_"I'm sure I put them in here," she mumbled taking out her ring of keys and a couple of cleaning rags out of here apron. "Ah! Here they are." Onto the table were laid a deck of cards. _

_As Yumiko began to shuffle them, she reminisced, "I used to read tarot cards for my brothers when we were younger, and I became quite skilled at interpreting them. I personally like to arrange them for past, present, and future."_

_Sakuno could not help but be fascinated as the older woman took three cards from the top of the shuffled deck and laid them in a triangle onto the table between them. _

"_For your past," Yumiko began, flipping over one of the cards, "there is the Wheel of Fortune card. Hmm, yes, that must be referring to whatever caused you to leave Seigaku."_

_Sakuno mutely nodded, mesmerized by the brightly colored tarot card._

"_Next is…a two cups card. It's not as powerful, but still, it fits well with your present situation. It is a good card to have._

"_And lastly, there is…oh, my," Yumiko stopped with a soft giggle. "Don't you have an interesting future ahead of you."_

_Sakuno confusedly studied the last card. It had a picture of a winged spirit and two people—a man and a woman, both naked—standing before it._

"_The Lovers," Yumiko said. "It means that romance and change are certainly to enter your life, but…to appease the Gemini, something else must be given up."_

_Unsure whether that was a good fortune or not, Sakuno timidly spoke up._

"_Uh, Mrs. Saeki—"_

"_Yumiko, please."_

"…_Yumiko, is that…bad?"_

_Yumiko scrutinized the other girl with an intent look that made Sakuno suddenly feel discovered and naked. But the brief strain was relieved as Yumiko gave another one of her bright smiles. _

"_Tetsuya, why don't you take this card? Maybe it can be a reminder of your future as you travel today."_

"Tetsuya!" Sounding as though he had been trying to get her attention for a while now, Kaneda's voice suddenly cut into her thoughts.

"Uh, what?" Sakuno blinked at their surroundings, her hand limply still holding the mule's reign.

"We're here."

She looked at the town before her. It was teeming with activity—despite its precipitous position on the mountainside. Deftly tucked around large trees and cliff sides, Yamabuki gave the impression of being a strong community. As she followed Kaneda on a main path, the town seemed to expand, and when they turned a corner around a large bolder, Sakuno was surprised to see the town extend even farther up the side of the mountain. People were bustling all about the streets—men with carts hauling wood or grains, pairs of giggling girls coming from the woods with filled water jugs, a group of young men fixing the cobblestones in the street, women carrying chickens and other food while their children skipped around their skirts.

It was only when Kaneda asked about her mule's load that she realized that the twins and Akazawa had already left them.

"Oh," she heard Kaneda talking to himself as he went through the pack, "fabric. Alright. Why am I always the one that has to go to Sengoku?"

"Well," he said, now standing beside Sakuno, "Tetsuya, welcome to Yamabuki. The others have left to deliver their merchandise, and so shall we. Come on."

It was not long until they stood before a small shop, squeezed between two much larger edifices on either side. The structure emanated color between the dark green roof and gaily colored sign proclaiming _tailor_ in golden paint. Kaneda stopped to tie the mule to a nearby post, and having removed the animal's load, he faced Sakuno.

"After I give this to Minami and Sengoku, we can go find the others. We'll head on to Shitenhouji after we eat something, I suppose."

Sakuno nodded. "How far away is Shitenhouji?"

"Not far. Just over the mountain in the next valley. If we are on the road by mid afternoon, we should reach it by late evening."

"Okay."

Kaneda stepped up into the colorful building, and Sakuno thought to herself about the town. Everything thus far in Rikkaidai had been far from what she expected. She had anticipated seeing dilapidated remains of towns and villages, akin to a war-torn landscape. As she stared at the town of Yamabuki, a town that seemed to nearly cling to the mountainside, she began to understand what Kaneda had meant when he said that Rikkaidai had emerged from the epidemic a stronger people. As frantic as she still felt, she had meant kind people, and calmness slowly spread over her as she finally assessed her situation.

_I was with Fuji, but we were separated. Maybe he followed me. If so, where would he look?_

The sound of the shop's door opening caused Sakuno to turn her head sharply towards the store, but only two young women exited, a redhead standing at the door and saying, "It was lovely doing business with you. Come again soon!"

"He's brought our order, Sengoku," another voice called from inside.

"What?" Sengoku hurried back inside. "That's great!"

The conversation continued, but it was muffled to Sakuno. Inquisitively, she peered through the front window for the first time, seeing all of the rolls and colors of cloth placed in shelves that extended from the floor to the ceiling. Towards the back was a man with spiky brown hair, gathering up scraps of fabric from a counter and beside him was the redhead, presumably "Sengoku." Kaneda had placed his bundle onto an adjacent countertop, and Sengoku was eagerly going through it.

"Hey, Tetsuya," a familiar voice greeted.

Sakuno looked behind her and saw that Ryo and Atsushi had approached her. When she inquired about Akazawa, they told her that he was selling the other mules and would be joining them soon. The bell above the shop door rang again as Kaneda walked out. Seeing the twins, he asked again about Akazawa's whereabouts, and when he received an answer, he then suggested that they meet the other man so that they could waste no time in continuing on to Shitenhouji.

_Rokkaku!_ A voice suddenly yelled in Sakuno's head, and with an alarming realization, she remembered that the name of the settlement that she and Fuji were supposed to stay in was Rokkaku. They had left that town that morning! She tried to think up excuses as panic crept up onto her. She had been tired; she had been alone. Kaneda had been kind, and she didn't know where else to turn.

"Kaneda?" she spoke up softly, desperately trying to keep her voice steady.

Conversation ceased between the three other men. "Yes?" Kaneda ventured.

"…can I—?"

"Taichi, turn around, you idiot!" a voice sharply cut in.

Sakuno looked beside her, moving instinctively, only to barely miss an empty cart shooting by. A gangly teenager was running after it while an even smaller boy had stopped beside Sakuno.

"I'm _so _sorry, please!" he stuttered. "I didn't see you, please?"

Silenced by the boy's emotional outburst, Sakuno found no words of reply, only wondering what the boy was saying _please_ about.

"Hey, it's your own fault, Taichi. When you're _leading, _that implies watching where you're going, not nagging your elder."

Taichi turned a disconcerted look upon the other boy. "Akaya, you _were_ pushing the cart too fast, please!"

Pulling the cart back a few feet, Akaya pouted while running a hand through his curly black hair. "No, you weren't walking fast enough."

"I know we need to return to the site immediately, but this isn't a race, please."

"Well, at this rate, Mr. Sanada _will_ get there before us."

Taichi paled with panic and once again turned to his and Akaya's silent audience. "Again, I'm really sorry, please! Are you okay?"

"Uh, I'm fine," Sakuno slowly said, unsure of what was going on with the two boys.

Taichi grinned happily and ran over to the cart. "Come on, Akaya! We have to get back in time for Mr. Sanada, please!"

Sakuno heard Akaya mutter _suck-up _under his breath which fell only upon the deaf ears of the other energetic boy. They continued trudging down the road, Taichi occasionally harassing Akaya to which the older boy just sulked in annoyance.

Completely silent, Sakuno, Kaneda, Atsushi, and Ryo watched the diminishing cart as it went farther down the road. Sakuno heard Akazawa greet them when he walked up from the same direction that the two cart-drivers had disappeared in. Still dazed by the sudden appearance and disappearance of "Taichi" and "Akaya," they all mumbled something in reply, but Kaneda then recalled the previous conversation.

"Tetsuya, weren't you about to say something earlier?" he asked.

Sakuno was caught off guard, and the presence of Akazawa making her more nervous, she stuttered, "Uh…w-would it be alright…if I looked for work…here, instead of…" She paused, trying to remember. "…Shitenhouji?"

Kaneda blinked. "Ah, well, I don't see why not…"

"He's not from around here, so he would need someone's help to even ask for work. We don't have time," Akazawa murmured quickly to Kaneda.

Sakuno fidgeted as she heard Kaneda return with, "We've brought him this far; the least we can do is help him settle."

Before Akazawa could say anymore, Ryo cleared his throat and spoke up. "Actually—sorry, sir—some townspeople today told me about a logging site towards the edge of town. They said that the loggers need workers and are hiring almost anyone right now."

Sakuno didn't know that she had been holding her breath until it swooshed out in a sigh of relief. She thought that maybe she could stay in Yamabuki; of course, it was not the original city that Fuji had planned for them to go to, but it was closer than Shitenhouji.

As Kaneda smiled and said that they should take Tetsuya there immediately, Sakuno could only hope that anyone else she might meet could be as kind as these sailors and merchants had already been to her.

(...)

Sanada swiftly walked up the steep path. He was thoroughly annoyed that some miller had had the audacity to accuse his workers of selling weak wood.

_They work under me. Accusing them is the same as accusing _me_, and I don't cheat buyers,_ his thoughts growled. _Even if they are tactless and demanding._

His thoughts were briefly interrupted as he passed two men he did not recognize. He nodded politely at them, one of whom remained silent while the other mumbled a greeting. Sanada knew that he was close to the site and was wondering why such strangers would be there. Quickening his pace, he turned a corner to see Niou speaking to what looked like a child. His eyes scanned the entire scene quickly as he got closer. Akaya and Muromachi had been clearing the felling site for a large oak, but they both had stopped to watch the interaction. Akutsu had been bucking some logs and then loading them onto a wagon, but he, too, had paused. Meanwhile, Taichi had practically skipped with excitement over to Niou and the small person. Sanada could now see it was another young boy, about the same size as Taichi and probably the same age.

He heard Niou saying, "Alright, Tetsuya, you can help Taichi clear sites of excess brush and slashing. If Mr. Sanada wants you somewhere else, he should be back soon enough to—"

"I'm here," he interrupted, now standing by the group.

He finally could see this "Tetsuya" better. An extremely effeminate boy, Tetsuya was short, slender, and had the wide-eyed look of a deer. He couldn't have been older than thirteen, but Sanada knew that he had always been bad at guessing someone's age.

"This is Tetsuya," he heard Niou say. "He came to Yamabuki just today, and some friends of his brought him to find work."

Sanada thought of the two men earlier at this comment; "So, I presume you hired him?"

"Yes—if you don't mind, sir."

"…Not at all. We need workers." Sanada now looked down at the waif of a person. "You can do as Niou say. Follow Taichi around where he works, and he'll show what to do. Do you have any experience in logging?"

Tetsuya seemed incapable of looking Sanada in the eye with those large brown eyes of his own, but his response was otherwise polite. "N-no, sir, I don't."

Sanada sighed. "Well, like I said, shadow Taichi. You'll learn soon enough."

Niou had since taken leave to continue helping Akutsu prepare logs for selling. With a glare, Sanada had enticed Muromachi and Akaya to resume their business as well. Sanada went over to the same oak tree to help them prepare the saw. Nearby, Taichi had dragged Tetsuya to the piles of brush he had been making. He chirped away, saying something about how he "couldn't believe that he'd see Tetsuya again, please, or especially work with him" and "that he was sorry about before, please" and "are you going to be in Yamabuki long, please?"

Slightly interested, or perhaps only eavesdropping because Taichi was speaking so loudly, Sanada heard him ask about where Tetsuya was from.

"Uh...Seigaku," the other replied hesitantly.

Sanada's ears impulsively perked at that. Seigaku? He was far from home. Certainly, Yamabuki lacked many of the niceties that the more established country across the lake had. Without realizing that he now stood straight, facing the two boys, Sanada spoke up.

"Do you have family that came with you?" he asked.

Tetsuya didn't realize at first that Sanada had spoken to him, but he finally scrambled from his crouching position, dropping several sticks as he did so. "Uh, uh, my brother—then I…"

Sanada's eye twitched. _Jumpy, isn't he? _"Are you alone or are you not?"

Tetsuya swallowed and thankfully regained composure. "Alone, sir."

"Those friends of yours who brought you here—do they live in Yamabuki?"

"No."

Not waiting for, or even expecting, further explanation, Sanada continued; "So, you must work because I assume that someone your age and as far from native country as you are hasn't a cent in his name. Where are you staying?"

He just realized how detached from his original task he had become, so he quickly relinquished an ax to Muromachi, instructing him briefly to start cutting a notch in the wood. He then closed the distance between himself and Tetsuya, not saying anymore, simply waiting for an answer instead.

During this, Tetsuya's face had screwed into a look of worry, as if realistic thoughts about food and housing never crossed his mind. "I…hadn't thought about that, sir."

_As I expected. _"Well, then you are hardly prepared for Rikkaidai—especially the mountains of Yamabuki."

At this comment, Tetsuya looked especially stricken, and Sanada felt his mouth twitching in an almost smile at the boy's naivety.

When Tetsuya seemed at a loss for words, Sanada relented. "Seeing as you are new here and now a worker of mine, you can lodge in my house for the time being. We clean up the site two hours before sundown. However, I have more business in town, so Niou can show you to the house."

The prospect apparently caught the boy off guard. "Huh? Uh…th-thank you…sir," he stumbled over the sentence, but Sanada could see the genuine appreciation on his face.

Sanada abruptly turned to resume his work with Muromachi and Akaya. "But until then—we work," he stated.

"Ah, yes, sir!" Tetsuya returned with much more enthusiasm than before.

As Taichi then showed Tetsuya where to take their armloads of brush, Sanada again caught himself staring. He couldn't help but find the whole situation odd. Of all places for such a clumsy and timid boy to end up, it had to be his logging site, and the irony of it all irked him.

Yet, despite all of that—as he listened to Tetsuya yelp in a mixture of surprise and fear as Akutsu suddenly appeared behind him, Niou laughing raucously and Taichi trying so hard to not laugh—he felt himself smile a little.

**CHAPTER 4 - END**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Fuji knocked as loudly as he could onto the door. It was late and very likely that all of the inhabitants of the building were asleep. Far from an ideal choice, the voyage he had been given took much longer than he had anticipated as it had to first stop in Rikkaidai's neighboring country of Jyousei. Now, with a half-full moon high above him in the midnight sky, Fuji tried to keep his balance while fatigue swayed back and forth inside of him like a pendulum.

Hurried footsteps could be heard coming from inside, and Fuji tensed. Of course, this was the only place in Rokkaku that was a reasonable for him to go to, but that certainly did not erase the fact that he had brashly left this place many years before. As he listened to locks being undone and the door being creaked open, Fuji held his breath for a moment.

"Can I help you, sir?" a sleep-clouded voice politely asked from the crack, the owner of the building never bothering to really look at his late night guest.

"Saeki," Fuji started—unsure of what entirely to say—"it's me…your brother."

Although it took a moment for the words to register in the other man's mind, the door opened more, and Saeki for the first time stared at Fuji.

"Syuusuke?"

Fuji, for lack of words, simply nodded. He didn't even speak up when Saeki grabbed his arm and pulled him aside only to quickly disappear into another room. Fuji heard a muffled conversation, words occasionally creeping out from under the door. Rustling noises drifted into the room, soon followed by a young woman whose elfin face was like his own. The woman, at first shocked at seeing the newcomer, soon rushed to him and embraced him.

"Syuusuke, you're home," she nearly squealed in excitement.

Fuji didn't immediately reply as his largest concern at the moment was to maintain his shaky footing while his sister hugged him. Saeki stood to the side of what he perceived as a heartwarming reunion, watching with amusement. The long line of questions was soon rattled off.

"Did you just get here? How long are you planning to stay? Why have you returned? Are you just visiting?" Yumiko asked question after question, seemingly not expecting any answers due to the lack of space between each inquiry. "Oh, do you need something to eat, something to drink? I'll get tea."

In her giddiness, she scampered from the room, leaving the remaining occupants rather dazed, and Saeki again approached Fuji.

With a wan smile, he said with a touch of irony; "Here, take a seat. You look tired."

Graciously accepting the chair, Fuji offered his own weak smile. "I'm sorry if my coming so late is a nuisance."

"Not at all, Syuusuke. You're family."

"Thank you."

Saeki made a noise in response, and as he sat down a chair besides Fuji, a thoughtful look stole over his face. He leaned closer to Fuji as if he were about to expound on some great secret, unknown to all.

"It is curious, though, that you've come this suddenly. Is there something wrong?"

Slumping against the wood of the chair, Fuji closed his eyes, fighting sleep the best that he could while he thought of an appropriate answer to give to his brother-in-law.

"I'm…looking for someone," he said without opening his eyes.

Noticing how ambiguous the answer was, Saeki was about to question further but was interrupted when Yumiko popped her head in the doorway.

"Syuusuke, do you want anything in the tea? Honey? Milk? Sugar? I think we even have some lemon I can slice up."

Answering for Fuji, Saeki spoke up, "Sweetheart, I think he'll like anything you bring him."

With a bright smile and a nod, Yumiko disappeared again, and Saeki returned his attention to Fuji.

"Who on earth would you look for in Rikkaidai, Syuusuke?" he asked, trying to keep any imposing lilt out of his voice.

Fuji at first was silent, and then resigned to answering at the same time Yumiko hurried back into the room with a tray in her hands.

"I'm looking for a girl, but I doubt you would have seen her at all," he spoke softly, sitting up to take one of the offered tea cups from his sister.

Having taken a seat at the same table as the two men, Yumiko also contributed to the discussion; "Well, you never know. Describe her, and we might surprise you."

Fuji sighed. "That's the problem. She's very…disoriented by herself. She came off a ship from Seigaku completely by herself. She has never been to Rikkaidai before." Here he hesitated. "She is also disguised as a boy."

When given questioning looks from the other two, Fuji leaned back against the chair again. "We had our reasons."

While Fuji took a long sip of the strong tea, a glance was shared between Saeki and Yumiko, one wondering, the other knowing.

"Is the girl…going by the name Tetsuya, by chance?" Saeki ventured.

Fuji stiffened in surprise. His reaction brought a smile to Yumiko's face.

"I knew it," she murmured under her breath.

Saeki himself seemed taken aback by the revelation about Tetsuya, and he mentioned briefly to Fuji how Yumiko had suggested to him earlier that she thought Tetsuya might be female. At the time, he had told her that such an idea was ridiculous. Listening to all of this, Fuji just looked at his older sister, somewhat dumbfounded but still smiling.

"Syuusuke, women always can tell with these sorts of things," Yumiko declared, answering all unsaid questions that Fuji may have had.

Calming his strained thoughts, Fuji drained the rest of the tea cup; "Have you seen her, then?"

Yumiko giggled. "Seen her? Syuusuke, she _stayed_ here. She was with Akazawa and Kaneda—merchants who come here often."

"Unfortunately, you just missed her," Saeki answered. "She left this morning with Akazawa's group."

"And you are not following tonight," Yumiko insisted; "It is the middle of the night, and I have never seen you look so deprived of rest. You are staying here for at least the remainder of the night."

Fuji knew better than to argue with his sister; not only that, he truly was far too exhausted to argue with anyone. Instead, as Saeki stood up offering to help him into guest quarters, he smiled.

"How is your…son?" he asked Yumiko with sincere curiosity—now that the main reason for his unexpected return had been disclosed.

"Kohta? Oh, he is an amazing little boy. I'm sure he'll be excited to meet his other uncle."

Fuji just smiled in return as conflicting emotions welled inside of him. Looking at the serenely content face of his sister and the kind air that her husband carried himself with, Fuji felt guilty for his disappearance and the current situation. Soon, he was bidden good night by the couple and was left alone in a room where he immediately sank down onto a bed. His glazed eyes stared at the dark ceiling as his numbed conscience slowly grasped the idea of being in Rokkaku again.

Much too tired to focus on such thoughts, his eyes quickly drifted shut, and dreams soon replaced reality as sleep overcame him.

* * *

The air was refreshingly cool in the Seigaku castle that morning. Hurrying down the hall, Tomoka hummed to herself as she balanced the tray of food in one hand and knocked on a thick, oaken door with the other. With some effort, she pushed her back against the door, opening it.

"Princess Sakuno! Good morning!" the eager young maid chirped.

She dropped the tray onto a small table in the sitting room and turned a tea cup over to start pouring the warm liquid into it. She straightened the plate of carefully prepared eggs with the eating utensils placed on a cloth napkin meticulously beside it. Approaching the door of the bedroom with her footsteps muffled into the thick carpet, Tomoka tried another, softer knock on the wood.

"Princess Sakuno?" she again tried. "I have some food for you!"

She pushed the door open slowly. She immediately went to the windows and pulled back the long curtains. The sun was breaking the horizon, and Tomoka instinctively squinted as the bright light hit her eyes.

"It's a beautiful morning, Your Highness," she loudly remarked to the canopied bed. "Her Majesty, the queen, wanted you to have a good breakfast before meeting her later today—if you're well, of course. Her Majesty waited until she thought you would feel up to moving again. She was so worried after you fainted! But Prince Ryoma said he would take care of you. Wah! Such a wonderful brother!"

She neared the curtains on the bed and began to draw them back to tie to the posts. Without truly looking at the bed and the occupant she assumed was there, Tomoka continued her boisterous dialogue.

"Princess Sakuno, the queen is very excited about your marriage, and you must be, too! Isn't all of this wonderfully exciting?" She smiled dreamily, and, finally turning to the covers, she asked, "Do you want me to bring your breakfast in here?"

There was no answer.

"Princess Sakuno?"

She pressed lightly at the plush duvet, and briefly hesitant, she pulled the blanket back a little. There was no one underneath it. More than anything, the young maid was simply confused. She hurried back into the sitting room as if she expected to find the princess sitting on the sofa beside the tray of food, drinking her morning tea. However, that room was also vacant, the only noise being the soft crackling of the small fire in the fireplace.

Panic settled like an iron weight in Tomoka's stomach as she wondered where the princess could be. To everyone's knowledge, she fell faint during the conference with Fudomine and had since been resting in her own quarters. But she was not there.

Tomoka rushed from the room, barely closing the door behind her.

"Her Highness is gone! Princess Sakuno is gone!" she exclaimed to any who would hear as she hurried down the hall.

Her anxious footsteps rang through the stone hallways, shattering the silent unconsciousness that had been quietly resting until that point in the castle walls of Seigaku.

* * *

The unobtrusive sound of song birds flirted with Sakuno's ears, enticing her to wakefulness. She moaned softly as she sat up, her stiff muscles resisting the cool air of the room as she pushed the thick quilt off of herself. As the scent of food wafted into the small room, the girl felt uncomfortable, remembering the events of the previous night.

The man with the strange hair and feminine eyes as well as Mr. Sanada had walked with her to the town where the group split into separate ways—Sakuno and Niou toward their superior's house, Sanada some undisclosed destination. Past the west boundary of the town, she and the man trudged. Relieved of Sanada's stoic presence, Niou was more inclined to chitchat. The travel-worn princess, however, was apt to be reticent.

The sudden appearance of the comfortably-sized house took Sakuno by surprise, but relief soon took the place of any trepidation that she had felt. Following the long afternoon of hard, unfamiliar work, she was content with any lodging shared with her.

A polite knock sounding on the door of the guestroom before it was slightly opened broke some of Sakuno's early morning dazedness. The lean man with a face as serious as Mr. Sanada's slipped inside quietly, placing some folded clothes onto a chair beside the door before he noticed that the room's guest was getting out of bed herself.

"You're awake. Good," he remarked. He then held up the clothes; "Your clothes. I apologize that Niou's old shirts were the smallest things we could find for you."

"It was fine. Thank you," Sakuno hastily said, her cheeks flushing as she consciously tugged on the material to conceal her still bare legs even though they were already obscured by the blanket. It was embarrassing enough what had happened the night before; Niou had introduced her to another close associate who cared for Sanada's finances and—during his daily absences—the house and grounds.

_"Yagyuu, we've got ourselves a little guest," Niou introduced the shy "boy" to the other man. "He's Tetsuya— new to the country, new to logging, yet somehow newly hired."_

_Despite his calm outward appearance, Yagyuu was not bashful. This Sakuno realized when the first thing he suggested was that she take a bath. He explained that her traveling and working had probably collected dust, and additionally, bathing would help settle her nerves. He continued by offering to clean her clothes as well. While Sakuno was on the verge of panicking about being naked in the same vicinity as two _male_ strangers, she had failed to notice Niou had slipped behind her. _

_Arms enclosed her quickly and had her lifted her before she could even make a noise of protest. "Where to, Yagyuu?" she heard Niou say, simultaneously feeling his laugh reverberate through his chest. _

_A ghost of a smile flitting across his lips, Yagyuu moved past the shorter man down the hall. "Let me fill the tub first."_

_"You're such a maid. I thought Sanada hired you to be his accountant."_

_Yagyuu's glasses caught some light as he glanced at Niou. "In Mr. Sanada's absence, I try to be an adequate host."_

_Niou grinned at Sakuno as he murmured to her, "Host_ess_."_

_"I heard that, Niou."_

Sakuno almost shook her head to return to the present, and she barely caught the last few words from Yagyuu. All she heard was something about Mr. Sanada and food. After he exited the room, she slid from the bed, her feet cringing at the feeling of the smooth, cold wood underneath.

_I really need to stop daydreaming_, she mused as she tugged on her pants. Replacing the too large shirt with her own double layers of clothing, she pushed her feet into the nearly too small shoes and joined Yagyuu in the adjacent room.

Morphed into both a kitchen and eating room, the area would have seemed cramped were it not for the bay window facing the eastern sun. Adorning the plain, wooden table was the source of the inviting aroma that had helped awaken Sakuno earlier, and she looked at the food desirously but noticed that she and Yagyuu were the only ones present.

As if reading her mind, Yagyuu told her to go ahead and eat; the others would be inside shortly. Instead of asking where they were, though curiosity was demanding an answer, Sakuno saw through the window a glint of what looked like a sword. As rapidly as it had appeared, the flash was gone.

Thoughts about breakfast fled her mind as she was compelled to investigate the unusual light. She neared the door that led out behind the house, she pushed on the heavy door and squeezed outside.

The chattering of birds and creatures now intensified, and Sakuno stood transfixed at the nearly foreign songs coming from all about her. The only animals that she ever encountered were her brother's cat, the horses for carriages, and the occasional songbird that landed in a courtyard or windowsill. Another sound cut through the air, and she would not have recognized it at all were it not for the practice spars that she remembered watching her brother have with his friend Momoshiro.

_Swords, _she remembered as she passed a large hedge.

Now, the two sparring men entered her vision. Down the hill that was immediately behind the house, a smooth field had been manicured onto the ground, and in the center of that field were Sanada and Niou, both moving with swift alacrity and each brandishing a sword. The hill steepened at this point, so the swordsmen seemed miles away while still being close enough for Sakuno to see every swing, side step, and jab with an almost alarming clarity. The path she had been following transformed into stairs at the top of the slope, and the girl paused at the top of them, a spectator to the mock-fight.

"Your step is clumsy today, Niou," she heard Sanada criticize the silver-haired man.

"Is not," Niou shot back with a strong swing at his opponent's left side.

Sanada quickly deflected the blow, and Sakuno then realized that she had been holding her breath. The duel continued—akin to a sort of lethal dance—their movements blurring together as they delivered a slice or barely twirled out of the blade's reach. In a trance-like stupor, the girl took a step forward only to make an ungraceful and rather painful fall onto her backside when her foot slid on some loose gravel.

Responding to whatever sound Sakuno's fall had generated, Sanada looked sharply at the top of the hill—his eyes boring directly into her own. Her face heated yet again, but she didn't feel particularly embarrassed about falling. Rather, the mere intensity of that gaze left her feeling small and confused. With his opponent's attention elsewhere, Niou took advantage of the pause and advanced on Sanada, and Sakuno gasped when she realized this. But as fast as the swing was, the man whose eyes never left the girl caught the blow and, with a twist, wrenched the other blade from Niou's hands.

This match, Sanada was certainly the victor.

Niou just laughed at the sport of it all. "Damn, Sanada. Here I thought Tetsuya was a good enough distraction."

Sanada's finally turned from the said Tetsuya to the other's grinning face. "A good swordsman is never distracted…simply aware."

He then sheathed his sword, nodding to Niou. "That's enough for now. We need to eat some before going to the site."

"Well, I won't argue with that," Niou said as he put away his own sword. He jogged up the stairs, slowing beside Sakuno as she finally got to her feet. "Morning, Tetsuya," was all he said as he continued on towards the house.

Left alone with Sanada, Sakuno found herself at a loss of words. He offered none, instead staring off into the woods, hands still gripping the sword as if waiting for an unknown enemy to attack at any moment. She opted for polite conversation.

"Mr. Sanada, thank yo—"

"Are you alright?" he asked without looking at her.

"Huh?"

"Did you sprain anything?"

"Oh…no, I'm fine." Again, she felt flustered for reasons she couldn't discern.

Sanada sighed. "It would not have been good to have an injured worker."

_So that's why he asked._ Sakuno thought with an unsure smile.

Again silence seemed to dominate the air; even with the tremors of the awakening forest around them, it was only the suffocating air between herself and Sanada that Sakuno could feel. It all seemed surreal—as though all dormant senses had been awakened. She could feel each vibration in the ground as Sanada first began to ascend the stairs. The movement stopped slightly before her, and it was startling to find herself face-to-face with the taller man—only because he now stood on a step below hers.

Neither said anything—only looked at each other, as though gauging each other's stance. The girl was frozen as she couldn't help the images of this man's calm ferocity from flowing before her. Even in a mock-battle, he was collected and dangerous, yet, standing here before him, she could find no fear within herself.

"Hey! Are you two done with your bonding time or are you going to come eat?" A yell from the house suddenly broke the silence. "Yagyuu's not letting me eat before you! He's a mean hostess!"

Immediately, the silver-haired man was yanked out of their sight, back towards the house, and Sakuno felt a light laugh escape her as she thought of how Yagyuu would commence with lecturing Niou. The sound of voices again reached the two standing on the stairs, but they were too far away to be understood.

"You will get used to those two soon enough," she heard Sanada say. Turning to look at him, she could have sworn that she had seen a smile. Though it disappeared as soon as she looked at him, making her wonder if it had all been her imagination.

When the only response given from the girl was another flustered nod, the man looked away for a brief moment—a sign normally interpreted as shyness, but Sakuno thought it surely could not be that. But like the smile, it was rapidly brushed away, and again she was looking straight into a dark pair of eyes.

"You were comfortable last night?" he asked.

"Y-yes, thank you," she managed.

"Hm. That's good. Yagyuu is a trusted assistant. I don't doubt that he was helpful."

_And Niou?_ Sakuno couldn't help but think of the odd but still rather friendly man.

"You were asleep when I returned home last night," Sanada started again, nearly sounding unsure of himself; then with a twitch of annoyance slipping through his face, he remembered; "I had some…issues come up."

Sakuno didn't know what to say. Here, this intimidating man was standing before her, talking to her as if they were well-known associates. Suddenly, Sanada straightened and looked past the girl indifferently, as though he himself realized what he was saying. Stepping past her, he murmured something about breakfast and leaving to work, but it was so brief that the girl couldn't be sure.

She was left standing at the stairs, watching Sanada walk briskly around the hedges and toward the house.

Now, even the song birds were quiet.

**CHAPTER FIVE - END**

* * *

A/N: ….I'm sorry that you all got a short chapter after waiting so long….. I had a lot more planned for this chapter, but then it would have been _too _long. But anyway, the plot thickens…only partially! :D

…Please don't kill me…

(And how did Platinum Pair get into this?! …aiya, that's what happens when I fall in love with a new pairing while I'm writing a story.)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"You teach?" The little boy looked at Fuji with fascination brimming in his widened eyes. "Is that—boring?"

Fuji smiled. "Well, I do more than just teach. I'm more of a caretaker."

Kohta simply blinked at the word, as though its definition were incomprehensible to the world of a five-year-old working in his parents' restaurant. Sitting cross-legged on the bed with Fuji, the boy fiddled with his fingers as he scoured for more questions to continue the interrogation of his uncle.

A light behind the boy's eyes flashed as he came up with what could be a fascinating discussion for his young mind. "Do you see the king a lot?"

"No, not often."

"Oh." Kohta deflated a little bit. "Are there more important people? A queen? Does the princess have brothers and sisters?"

"One brother and one grandmother—the queen. I speak with them more often than I ever did with the king. Mostly it's about running an errand or finding the princess for them. Not that exciting."

Kohta, however, was thoroughly awed by this, but before another word could come from him, his mother knocked on the door and peeked inside.

"Kohta," her voice drifted from the crack. "You shouldn't keep Uncle Syuusuke for so long, sweetie. He has many things to do."

"But mama," the boy started.

Yumiko opened the door fully. "Itsuki is going to buy some groceries soon. You can go with him, Kohta."

Now the little boy seemed torn between the prospects—staying with his newly acquainted uncle or go to town with Mr. Itsuki.

"Sorry, Uncle Syuusuke," he said embarrassedly as he slid off of the bed.

Before he could run downstairs, he mother quickly admonished him, "Now, Kohta, at least say goodbye. Syuusuke may be gone when you get back."

Hardly wishing to argue, he slung his arms around Fuji's leg as the man had stood up as well. "Bye, Uncle Syuusuke!"

Fuji released an airy laugh as he patted the boy's head. "You have fun, Kohta."

"Yep!" With the broad grin still stretching his youthful features, Kohta bounded past his mother, audibly jumping down the stairs.

"Do you need to leave soon?" Yumiko asked in a distant voice, the air in the room growing damp with the question.

_Guilt again_. "Yes," Fuji murmured shortly, unaffectedly.

"Well, you should have some breakfast. It won't take long to make something."

"…thank you."

Yumiko's muted footsteps closed the distance between them, and the soft hand daring to touch his cheek compelled Fuji to face his older sister. "Sometimes," she said wonderingly; "I still see you, a young boy with so many dreams. But now, you _are _here. I have to remind myself that you're no longer fourteen."

Ignoring the disquieting hollow of emotions in his chest, his pale face remained apathetic. "Yumiko."

She suddenly beamed, preventing any excuse he might say. "Come downstairs when you want."

With that, she was gone, and Fuji was alone again—left at the mercy of his own thoughts. From what information he had gathered from Yumiko and Saeki, Sakuno could be anywhere from Rokkaku to Yamabuki to Shitenhouji—far from ideal circumstances.

_I don't even know _where_ to start. Realistically, she is either in the one of the towns staying with someone or she is still traveling with those merchants. _

He hoped the latter was the case, for in his mind, he figured that merchants would use the main highway; therefore, he could soon catch up with her. He picked up his small bag, and tugging a little on his shirt to straighten out the wrinkles, he headed downstairs himself. The vacancy of the restaurant only served to emphasize the time of day as most guests had already departed or, being night-callers as Fuji had been, were still asleep. Yumiko came out from the back just as he entered the downstairs room, and she hurried back inside after telling him that she would bring him the food. As Fuji looked at the plate that his sister left for him, its contents, despite its simplicity, smelled tantalizing, and soon half of it was devoured.

Meanwhile, the sight of the room—devoid of occupants—served as an excellent theater for disparaging echoes and distant memories. Several times did Fuji have to look again to the tables in the front, lit by the cheery light filtering through the windows. It had become unsettling to continually sense a presence only for him to look at the tables, always unoccupied. At times, he could still hear the voices from long ago.

That was until he realized that he _did_ hear that same voice.

Fuji swallowed more food with difficulty as he watched the man come from the stairwell. He was speaking with a guest, but the conversation was faint to Fuji's ears, which suddenly felt stuffed with cotton. On the surface, Taka hadn't changed much. His face had long since relinquished all curves of boyishness, but his dark eyes still shimmered with familiarity as his polite smile still caused an uneven jump in Fuji's chest. And when those eyes met his own, he averted his gaze, ignoring the tingling on the side of his neck, knowing that there was still a pair of eyes focused on him. The low buzzing in the background continued much to the irritation of Fuji, but lost in his own sullen thoughts, he only noticed that the flow of words had stopped when a figure shadowed the light from the window. Looking up, Fuji could not comprehend the expression on the man now standing before him—something indiscernible, perhaps concern or unadorned curiosity.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"Yumiko mentioned you," Taka began with a half-smile, courteous yet still wearing telltale signs of pained surprise. "I wouldn't believe it unless I saw you."

"You've seen me now."

"I still can't believe it."

Fuji remained silent. It remained unknown whether this was because he had no excuse for himself or because more unsure words were being formed in Taka's conscience.

"Why have you come back, completely out of the blue?" Taka asks in a nearly humorous tone, but there was a sharpness in those words which nipped at Fuji.

"Yumiko didn't tell you that?" Fuji knew his sister better than that, or he at least liked to think that he did.

"No—" The polite smile returned. "—she told me."

Disappointment laced the answer, and the hollow void inside of Fuji filled with guilt once again for reasons that he didn't wish to acknowledge.

"How is Inui? And that other friend—Kajimoto?"

Fuji's eyes skirted the tables in front of the windows, for even if they were obscured by Taka's form, Fuji knew who would be sitting there, talking and laughing as if nothing in the world were wrong.

"They're both…fine," Fuji started. "Inui _did _end up getting a job in the castle because of his cousin, and Kajimoto is still around. I…haven't stayed in much contact with him." _Doesn't that sound familiar?_

When Taka didn't immediately answer, Fuji gathered enough courage to finally look at him. The other man, however, was no longer facing him, instead finding a fascinating diversion with his hands.

"Would you like to sit?" Fuji tried. _Anything to make this conversation less awkward… _

A sudden, vehement shake of the head was punctuated with a strong refusal which even Taka realized sounded far too strong. His polite smile returned as his usual shield, but its strength was betrayed by a tremble. "Sorry, I need to return to work."

Fuji's hand shot out to grab the other's arm. "Please….Taka." His voice was barely above a whisper, his normally calm eyes pleading.

However inclined he may have been to further refuse, Taka released the fiery spirit in a sigh, and without another word, he sat down beside Fuji. "The first time you have ever visited in six years is when you have come to search for someone else," Taka stated, his voice mildly shaking with dejection.

"I frequently wrote." Fuji closed his eyes. "You could have replied."

A chuckle—so dreadfully out of place—escaped the taller man. "Then we were both childish, I suppose."

A glance to his side revealed to Fuji that he wasn't the only one fascinated with those empty, empty tables. "Does an apology mean anything?"

"I would hope so."

"Then I could say that I'm sorry, and you wouldn't be offended?" Offended that Fuji had returned for the sake of his princess—his newfound loyalty? Or offended that he came to Rokkaku only by chance, not for his family?

Taka smiled shakily. Both of them looked at those tables, neither saying a word. Fuji began to wonder if he had been too presumptuous, but when Taka offered his hand for a handshake, in unshakable camaraderie, the slender brunette was reassured.

Though part of him was not surprised as he looked once more at those empty tables under the large, inviting windows.

_"You don't have to leave Rikkaidai."_

"_My parents are dead; Yuuta's run away. My sister is married and settled. What would I stay for?" _

"…_Do I have to answer that?"_

"_Hm, why not? You might convince me." He had been sarcastic._

_The kiss had been a surprise. With the two boys at such young, inexperienced ages, it was more of an awkward collision than any sign of affection or intimacy. It ended as abruptly as it began, and the taller boy's flushed face turned away._

_His voice was uncharacteristically quiet. "Go then, if that is what you truly want." _

_When Taka walked away, Fuji just stared dumbfounded. And he did leave his home, but he never was sure if that had been truly what he wanted._

(...)

"I would rather be force-fed cactus needles than be subjected to such an awkward union."

Laughter burst from An at the brutally straightforward comment.

"It's not that funny, An," Tachibana tried to say seriously, although his sister's hysterics was infecting him with his own unwanted smile.

Catching her breath, An still didn't lose the amusement in her pretty face. "If the marriage-treaty is really so cumbersome, just tell the queen you don't want it."

Tachibana shoulders fell a little. "That would be the most obvious solution, wouldn't it? However, you have hardly seen her, and she is," his voice trailed; searching for the right word, he tried again, "She is…gods, this is why we went to war with Seigaku in the first place."

An's smile became more sympathetic as she watched her brother rest his head in his hands. "I could talk to Ryoma for you."

"You've become rather attached to him, haven't you?"

"Is that bad?"

He snorted. "You know the answer to that as well as I do."

An shared a glance with Kamio who was standing quietly beside her. Sharing her smile, he blushed slightly.

With one eye following the interaction, Tachibana feigned a scowl. "Now what are you two schemers hiding from me?"

An put up an adorably innocent smile; "Frowns cause wrinkles, Kippei."

Everyone laughed at this, considerably lightening the mood despite everyone's recent frustrations at Seigaku. Shinji entered the room at this time, unintentionally bringing an air of trepidation.

"The queen wants an audience, Tachibana. The prince will be there, too. She was upset. I could tell. I hate it when people give fake smiles because they're always so obvious. The prince wasn't faking anything. He looked upset. She didn't say what she wanted to talk to you about, but it was obviously serious because everyone was upset. The scribe was there, too, but he never talks. He is so annoying how he never pays attention to anything around him, always ignoring everyone else. Why does he even have to be there? But I think she wanted you to come soon. Whatever she is upset about must be—"

"Of course," Tachibana cut in as graciously as he could; "We shouldn't keep Her Highness waiting."

Not needing to be invited as her brother naturally expected her to follow, An trippingly followed behind him. Kamio and Shinji were asked to stay behind which they both complied to a bit begrudgingly. Now, at the door of the meeting room, noise met their ears—shouting and crashing. Well, Shinji had referred to the group being "upset," so upon hearing the uproar through the door, the Tachibana siblings hesitated. When they finally opened the door, the sight that met them was somewhat disconcerting.

Holding a large, metal platter in front of his face, Ryoma stood in a mess of broken glass and china; he was nearest to the door. The queen stood across the room with a large bowl poised in her upraised hands, a bowl apparently taken from the now sparsely set table before her. However, her face had paled and her actions paused as she now stared at the newcomers. Instantly, she handed the bowl to Tezuka who was sitting at the table, and replaced the ferocious scowl that had been on her face moments ago with the expected, strained smile.

"Ah, Lord Tachibana, I'm glad that you were available for the moment." Despite the outwardly delighted greeting, her old voice was wavering.

When Tachibana then stepped forward to the queen to inquire what she wished to meet about, An slipped over to Ryoma who, though he stopped using the platter as a type of impromptu shield, still looked thoroughly miffed.

"And this is about?" An asked curiously as she stooped to pick up a large piece of green glass which suspiciously resembled some of the intact goblets from the table.

"Oh, you can't tell?" Ryoma said in a fake, cheery voice; then with a more dry voice, "At least you arrived before she started throwing weapons."

An's smile faltered as she first noticed the impressive array of swords and spears on the back wall behind Tezuka and the queen.

The two of them returned their attention to the queen whose poorly concealed distress was dripping from every word she stuttered to Tachibana. "I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience, Lord Tachibana. I am sure that my granddaughter is near, but she has determined to not be found."

An breathed in sharply and caught Ryoma's glance. Worried more for Ryoma's sake than for the situation, she wondered how many details the queen was aware of. The tension in the room became suffocating so that it was rather comical when Tachibana was the most relieved of them all.

"It is really not necessary, Your Highness," he began hopefully, "that you search so incessantly for the princess."

"But I insist!" the queen burst forth.

Before she could continue into another tirade of treaties and patriotism, Tachibana swiftly exerted that the princess's feelings toward the marriage were quite akin to his own. The revelation struck the queen dumb, whereas everyone else in the room wondered why it had taken so long for this to come about. When the queen regained her courtly gait, she again tried to speak up only to again be interrupted.

"Good god, grandmother." Ryoma's voice wavered with his now uncontained annoyance. "Can you not just accept that it is not a heaven-made match?"

An held her breath a little as she silently thanked Ryoma for his outburst. She had thought for the longest time that it was his right as the prince to take over sooner or later. However, the queen's stare turned icy as she regarded her grandson.

"I am doing what I believe is best for this kingdom."

"Obviously what you believe is not right."

The queen was silenced again in her anger. Watching the muscles in his neck contract, An was fascinated by the sudden change in Ryoma.

The prince continued, "We went to war with their colony, but they defeated us. They are the rightful victors, and they have the right to set the standards of the treaty. So give them a treaty, give them their rights, and let them be!"

Resignation was set into the lines of the haggard woman before all of them, and she released a defeated sigh. "Sometimes, you are too much like your father, Ryoma."

An just now noticed that her brother had slipped beside her again. She looked up to him; the intensity of the room had reached a level—a family dispute—that seemed inappropriate for them to witness. Still, her gaze returned to the prince's straight back, noticing how his left hand would clench and unclench repeatedly.

"Well, my father is dead, isn't he?" Ryoma swayed slightly in his agitation so that when his head moved a little as to meet An's gaze, she partly wondered if that was mere chance or not. "In moments like these, recovery even from a war is a luxury, and it is time that I take my place as the new king."

The mood of the room grew still following the uttered words. Everyone was silent, fearing to break the hush even with a breath of air; even Tezuka who had been faithfully recording the informal meeting had paused the scratching of his quill to risk a glance at the prince who was still shaking in his frustration. Again, his head moved in such a way that An could see his expression, and she realized that it was not accidental this time. So many thoughts were blurring in his golden eyes that she felt pity welling inside of her. When he looked away, the feeling remained, and she released a sigh. A brief touch on her shoulder caused her to look at Tachibana who, she realized with a certain measure of embarrassment, had witnessed the interaction between herself and the prince.

_There is too much to explain, Kippei, _she thought, as though her brother could read her mind. _There is too much happening that I cannot think clearly myself._

"And your sister?" The queen sounded tired more than anything.

An could not help but stare at the clenched fist of the prince as he replied shortly, almost inaudibly, with a trace of uncertainty that An could never be sure was heard by anyone, if not everyone.

"She…is in good hands."

Certainly, that is what they all hoped.

(...)

The cadent caress of the wind carried the scent of the ocean in it as it danced across the dimming twilight sky. Even as the day traveled farther away, the castle seemed to come to life with lights flickering and gleaming in the windows, and the whispers echoing out into the evening air seeped into the crevices of the castle, into the very stonework.

_She is gone? She is gone. Where did she go? No one knows. Her tutor is also missing? Yes, he, too. How will they be found?_

"So, the runaways have been discovered," Inui murmured to himself. Looking down from his usual perch at the small crowd of five persons, he only half-listened to the shared conversations.

"I can't believe she would try it," Momoshiro mentioned, disbelief drawn across every inch of his face.

"_Why_ would she leave? Wasn't the marriage supposed to be a good thing?" Horio demanded—expectedly—without an ounce of tact.

Momoshiro raised an eyebrow at Horio. "_Supposed_ _to_ doesn't mean it was."

Quiet until this point, Katsuo said wonderingly, "She never seemed like the type who would run away."

At this comment, Kaidoh—who had also remained mute—looked up at Inui briefly. Inui smirked a little and jumped down from the wall.

"That she did, Katsuo," Inui responded to the gardener's shared thought, startling Katsuo as to why one of the guards would know his name. "However, people will go to drastic measures when they've been cornered."

"Sure, but that doesn't explain _why_ she did it," Horio whined.

Standing beside his fellow page, Kachiro fidgeted. Putting voice to what everyone else had already thought, he mumbled, "Maybe she felt that she was marrying the enemy or something."

"Wha—it's not like he wanted to kill her!" Horio floundered.

"Horio, don't be stupid," Momoshiro chided.

"At the very least," Inui said with a smile unable to be interpreted, "we have the comfort of knowing the princess is escorted by her tutor."

Kachiro fidgeted again—a little more noticeable than before, and Inui's sharp eyes caught the movement. "Kachiro?"

The small boy visibly shrank under the guard's question, as though what he was about to reveal was personally his own fault. "Well…there was a message…from Fuji."

Inui's interest was peaked; he likewise sensed a shift beside him, presumably Kaidoh moving toward him. However, his attention was secured entirely upon Kachiro, and when the boy hesitated, he encouraged him.

"Was this message for the prince?"

"Y-yes," Kachiro, despite his stuttering, did not stop; "Fuji lost the princess."

A chill dampened the once temperate air. Inui thoughtfully pushed on his glasses, as this was disclosed to him. _Lost? _Without commanding the muscles around his mouth, he felt a smirk growing. _What an interesting twist._

"H-hey, what's going on?" Horio demanded.

Inui looked over the loud page and spoke instead to Momoshiro who was also beholding this unusual exchange with confusion. "Momoshiro, tell Arai that I need him to cover my post tonight."

Thinking it better than to ask, Momoshiro nodded shortly. "Sure."

As Momoshiro then left to find Arai, Kachiro grabbed Horio's arm as well as Katsuo's before the loudest of the boys could squawk about being previously ignored. "We should go back inside now before we get in trouble," he spoke hurriedly, an element of guilt or perhaps apprehension written into his jerky movements.

"Thank you, Kachiro," Inui called out to the quickly disappearing group of boys, smiling when he received a wave in response before the hand was used again to restrain the loudly protesting Horio.

Kaidoh silently watched his senior who was now climbing back onto the wall before he willed himself enough to speak. "What do you think will happen, Inui?"

Inui was facing the blood-red sky, watching the dark lines of purple clouds in the horizon churning in the ocean wind. He finally looked back at Kaidoh who remained in the shadow of the wall.

"Care to go on a trip with me, Kaidoh?"

_Thus begins the game of cat and mouse._

(...)

If ever there were a time when Sanada felt the need to grow multiple pairs of eyes in the back of his head, it was today. Every time he heard a yelp or the thump of someone falling, his head would snap in that direction only to discover that Tetsuya had only dropped some of his load, tripped over a tall root, or bumped into another worker. He knew that his muscles would ache after today, more because of how tense he had been rather than the physical labor which he was already quite accustomed to. Hearing the snap of a stick and a subsequent squeak, he could fully predict the scene before he looked, and therefore, his glance was rather slothful. Having finally learned to catch himself, Tetsuya was only on his knees and was clumsily grabbing up the sticks that had fallen from his arm. Watching as Muromachi went over to help the slender boy back onto his feet, Sanada stretched his arms. He determined to not be distracted yet again by the newcomer when the day's work at the logging site was almost done.

"Get Taichi and Tetsuya to clear the remaining brush," Sanada ordered Niou.

"Yes, sir." Niou was prompt in issuing out commands to bring a saw and to clear the felling sight to the other workers, who all seemed to experience a burst of energy during the last few minutes on the job.

Sanada approached the man standing beside a wagon laden with freshly cut logs. Serenely waiting, he was to take the wood back to the miller for whom he worked.

"This is the last one, Mr. Higashikata," Sanada politely informed the tall man. "I apologize that we didn't have your employer's quota filled earlier."

Higashikata smiled congenially. "That's alright, Mr. Sanada. It wouldn't hurt my boss if he learned a little bit of patience."

His ear twitching at the sound of Niou yelling at someone angrily, Sanada returned the visiting man's smile with a curt nod. The lateness of the hour tiring the senses of the usually alert man, his ears sluggishly picked up shreds of words that ricocheted off of the trees surrounding him, but the most ominous of all sounds slithered through the noise—the nearly imperceptible crack of a branch.

Time stopped in that moment, and his feet remained immobile—unable to lift themselves into a run or even a startled flinch. Sanada saw the branch swaying as Akaya climbed down from the tree; he could already envision its falling. He felt himself nearing the tree, but he knew not when he had regained control over his movement—though control hardly described the numbed sensations running through his limbs. The cracked wood was falling now, and through his deafened hearing, he noticed a shout of an order or the snap of a curse. All he could see was the falling tangle of wood; the two smallest members of their crew lay directly in its path. An arm had already dragged Taichi from the targeted slot of ground, but Sanada's own reach grazed the leafed branches of the large limb as it landed on top of Tetsuya. The dulled panic finally awoke.

"Dammit!"

"Akaya, you idiot!"

"Where's Tetsuya, please?!"

"Muromachi, Akutsu, on the other side, now!"

"Oh, god, what do you need?"

The voices all clashed onto Sanada's sore ears as he and the other workers hastily lifted the large branch up. Once it was high enough, he stooped to the ground to tug Tetsuya out from under the sharp pile of sticks; however, Niou being right beside him, the silver-haired man scooped up the small, unconscious form into his arms. Troubled by seeing the boy's feminine face drained of its color, Sanada hardly knew how to react.

"I'll take him to Ojii," he heard a voice from inside of him say.

Niou looked skeptical. "Tetsuya needs a doctor, but there is no way you are taking him alone."

At the mention of any such weakness, Sanada's reaction was to glare, but Niou remained unconvinced as he instead handed the limp body to Akutsu.

"I'm perfectly capable, Niou," he snapped.

"Not on four hours of sleep, you're not," the shorter man shot back. "God, why did you even work today?"

However, resistant to any further argument or scene before the lesser workers, Niou stepped forward and with a hand placed on Sanada's shoulder, he murmured in a voice devoid of any of his usual lightheartedness, "If you feel so responsible, just go with Akutsu. I can finish the order for Higashikata."

Sanada's shoulders slumped slightly, but the encouragement received from Niou's friendly pat helped lessen the great burden of incompetence that threatened to overwhelm him at the moment.

"Alright," he murmured.

Niou grinned. "I expect that you'll be lecturing me about this later?"

Sanada frowned at the comment which only served to brighten Niou's smile. "Just finish the job, Niou."

"Aye, sir!" Niou ran back to the other workers. "Oi, Akaya, you're sawing this one by yourself."

Sanada turned away just as protests came from the said Akaya which were quickly rebuffed by the reminder that it had been the boy's lack of attention that had caused the fallen branch. Sanada just shook his head at the sheer immaturity of his fellow manager, but then, he reminded himself that Niou was reliable. With only a nod directed to Akutsu, having discovered years before that neither of them were sanguine conversationalists, Sanada set off down the road with Akutsu close behind him.

Never before had the journey to town seemed so long or so treacherous, but each step resounded in his mind as though it were a last walk to an execution. Rubbing his fingers tiredly over his eyelids, though, reminded him of his lethargic state, so Sanada kept their pace brisk. Perhaps his heavy footfalls would better be described as parallel to the insubstantial anti-presence of dreams; he watched his feet as he stepped over rocks, was somewhat cognizant of reaching the outer walls of Yamabuki, and could see the late evening workers communing, but his tired eyes most often sought the pallor of Tetsuya's face. It took all willpower inside of Sanada to not blame himself for the boy's injury, for not protecting such an untried foundling.

Following what had felt like years of travel, Sanada and the laden Akutsu finally came upon a small, brown bungalow which was so tipped that it appeared to be either threatening or nurturing the flora surrounding its southward side. Tending to the mismatched patterns of colors, ferns, and small tress was a hunched man whose long, willowy beard brushed against the ground as he handled each plant with a delicate hand. Ojii, the seemingly immortal doctor of Yamabuki, was content in his own world, an unsure hum in his throat starting only to again stop as he worked.

Politely but still quickly, Sanada approached the old man. "Ojii, can you help us?"

"Hmmm…?" Ojii squinted his eyes at the large man before him. One wrinkled hand came to rest thoughtfully upon his beard as he stood there, seemingly inspecting the two men. Then his hand lifted again with only a slight waver as he pointed to Sanada; "Your eyes are red."

Sanada started. _That's not what I meant. _"Ojii, it's not me. Can you help him? He was injured at one of my logging sites." He then gestured to the slender form of Tetsuya who still lay comatose Akutsu's arms.

Another noise lifted from the back of Ojii's throat as he placed each of his steps carefully to the other tall man. Entirely nonplussed by the intimidating gait of the man before him, his long, bony fingers gently prodded Tetsuya's face and then arms. He nodded slowly and then retreated into the cottage. Akutsu shot a look to Sanada who just told him to take Tetsuya inside.

With the presence of Ojii as well as the sharp gaze of Akutsu gone, Sanada's feet dragged him to the bench beside the front door which he dropped himself upon. All of this was taking far too large of a toll on him. He cursed himself for allowing his new worker to injure himself the first day of the job, but perhaps it disturbed him this much only due to the already mounting pile of duties that awaited every evening in town. He had been looking forward to this night as it would be a reprieve from the others, but instead here he sat at Ojii's on the behalf of an injured Tetsuya.

Sleep being a threatening presence looming about him, Sanada stared at the reddening streaks of light that painted the tips of the trees before him, dreamily musing to himself how Ojii's cottage had a nice view of the sunset. He shifted a little from his slumped posture when Akutsu joined him outside; the other man, however, did not sit down but rather leaned against the wall and lit a rolled paper of tobacco with a match.

_Does he always carry cigarettes with him? _Sanada wondered distractedly, feeling his eyes sliding shut. _As long as he doesn't smoke during work, does it matter? _

The thought of the cut trees exploding into flame fascinated his mind as his breathing deepened, and the scent of the lusty mountain air lulled him. It was only the nudging on his shoulder that split the reverie, and he sat up rather abruptly, realizing with mild chagrin that he had been dozing. The corners of his eyes picked up on the grayness of the sky, the passage of time portrayed in the deadened mixture yellows and grays that graced the cloudless atmosphere. The awakening hand had since pulled back, its owner being revealed as Ojii.

"Tetsuya—how is he?"

Ojii hands again moved to his head in slow precision as each word meticulously tasted and pronounced left his lips; "She is fine. She just needs rest."

Sanada relaxed. "Just bruising, I take it? Any sprains?"

Ojii blinked and then shook his head. Returning to his feet, Sanada thanked the doctor and asked him what he would charge for the care when he realized that Akutsu was missing.

"Mr. Sanada." The words slithered from the open door of the cottage where Akutsu had suddenly made his appearance. His ashen face looked…paler, somehow.

Without waiting for any further statement, Sanada straightened and informed his worker that he was thankful for Akutsu's assistance but that he himself could take the boy home.

"That's the problem," Akutsu muttered, eyes staring blankly at Sanada. "Tetsuya's a girl."

Sanada felt a dead weight hit the bottom of his stomach.

"Ahhhh," Ojii sighed the words; "I didn't know you hired women, Sanada."

Something twitched on Sanada's face, and as he rigidly slipped past Akutsu into the house to discover what had been a mere boy hours ago, now stripped to an undershirt for the necessity of treating bruises, he knew he was angry. At whom and for what, he couldn't discern. But as he unwillingly took in the picture of that slender body with the extra curves in a place that he knew—he _knew—_boys never had, his mind was trembling beyond coherent thought.

He unwillingly heard the explanation from Akutsu to Ojii who both still occupied the doorway; "Apparently, Sanada didn't know either."

**CHAPTER SIX - END**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The sound of voices escalated as the argument filtered through the walls of the house. Sakuno awoke with a start. Dim was the lighting of the room, pale morning light creeping through the thick-glassed window beside the bed. Dazed, the girl took in her surroundings of the simple but sturdy bed, the wooden table used as a nightstand, the two chairs placed beside the door, the thick door—from which the noise that had awoken her continued to emanate from.

_How did I get here? _A feeling of deja vú swept about her, but it was broken momentarily as her shifting to sit up sent a dash of pain down her arms and back.

Startled by the sudden pinpricks in her shoulders, she finally took notice of her arms and inspected the pale skin sharply contrasted by the array of gray bruises adorning it. The splattering of purple skin continued beyond her view, but she dared not turn her neck to further search for the marks as such a stretch would worsen the pain.

Only then in the examination of her bare arms did she realize what their bareness implied.

Despite the pain of her limbs, she now frantically searched for the location of her larger shirt—the safer shirt. Only the outer garment seemed to be missing as she was still wearing trousers and the slim undershirt. While also trying to remember what could have possibly happened, the girl tried to guess when she had been changed and why. More specifically, she desperately wished to know _who_ had changed her.

There were blurs of images of the previous day—although whether they were the result of true reminiscing or simply a dream was indiscernible. Despite her every movement being punctuated by pain, Sakuno swung her legs over the side of the bed; she could feel a stiff object in the pocket of her pants. She pulled out the trespasser, her eyes gleaning the mixture of garish colors, inking, and symbolism of that fateful tarot card. No, the past few days of her life could have never been a mere dream. She remembered the inn and Yumiko giving her the card—traveling to Yamabuki—being taken to the logging site by Kaneda and one of the those twin sailors—staying with Mr. Sanada. Her trembling fingers clutched more tightly onto the now wrinkled slip of paper.

The noises which had first awoken Sakuno from her dreamless stupor neared the door, summoning her present attention. Another feeling of nostalgia bathed her as a light tap was heard from the door followed by a voice she recognized as Yagyuu's.

"Erm, Tetsuya, are you awake?" The voice sounded unsure of itself, or perhaps it was simply the background chatter of someone else's commenting that added a touch of perplexity to Yagyuu's simple question.

The embarrassment likewise spanned over Sakuno as she returned with a stuttered, "Y-yes."

The door was finally opened as Yagyuu stiffly entered the room, revealing himself as the culprit who possessed her shirt. The chattering had ceased, but Sakuno assumed that it had come from Niou who stood a distance behind Yagyuu. Replacing his previous murmuring was a look of discomfiture which seemed unnatural on the silver-haired man's features.

Parallel to the previous day, Yagyuu held up a folded piece of clothing. "Your shirt, Tetsuya," he stated, his voice void of any strain. "It had been ripped yesterday, but I have mended it."

Sakuno found little time to wonder why they were acting as though nothing had happened when Niou piped up in a comically loud stage-whisper to the man standing in front of him, "Do we have to keep calling her _Tetsuya_? That's a _boy's _name."

She blushed at the painful reminder that her disguise had been discovered, but while slipping the card back into her pocket, she struggled to her feet and retrieved the shirt from the bespectacled man. Seemingly unperturbed himself, Yagyuu shot a look to Niou as he handed the garment to Sakuno.

"Speaking of which," he began, his glasses glinting as they always did at opportune moments; "why are you—a grown man—in the room of our young guest? That's highly improper, Niou."

Niou blinked. "Eh? And you're excused from this rule of propriety?"

A smirk graced Yagyuu's features.

"I'm the _hostess_, remember?"

"Forcing me to eat my own words? How cruel, Yagyuu."

Despite the verbal protest, Niou seemed all too happy to leave the room and its occupant. Sakuno tugged the shirt over her head, and she just barely caught Yagyuu's nod as he invited her to breakfast. Well, she thought that the two men were acting very complacent considering the circumstances, but Sakuno certainly did not complain.

Having followed the two men into the kitchen, she saw the telltale signs of already eaten meals upon the table, and the evidence was further strengthened as Niou gave a farewell salute to her and Yagyuu before leaving through the back door. Now, as she tried to ignore the pain in her limbs, Sakuno took a seat, wondering the entire time just how she had jeopardized everything. At least she was still being offered food.

She was startled from her thoughts as a deep voice called from the doorway toYagyuu. Embarrassed as she was by the unclear recollection of yesterday's events, her face grew hot when Sanada briefly entered. Although she had sensed a dark gaze on her, she looked up in time to see the tall man brush past her as though she were not there at all. He murmured something quickly to Yagyuu who nodded, and as abruptly as he entered, Sanada turned on his heel to leave. Just as he stepped through the doorway, Sakuno mustered enough courage to rise to her feet.

"Mr. Sanada," she started.

However, as she painfully dragged her feet to the doorway, a hand landed lightly on her shoulder, conscious of her bruises.

"Give him time, Tetsuya." Without turning, she recognized Yagyuu's voice. "He is still too surprised and confused—as we all are."

Knowing that her eyes would betray her fear, Sakuno looked up to Yagyuu, giving a silent entreaty.

"You may have the chance to speak with him tonight."

He left her at the door and started to pick up the used dishes from the table. When she remained like a statue, Yagyuu again tried to encourage her to eat, promising that there was no intention of turning her out. Of course, he told her, that everyone expected a thorough explanation later, but that would have to wait for Mr. Sanada, considering that "Tetsuya" was mainly his responsibility. A hollow growl from the girl's stomach likewise demanded attention, and with yet another blush gracing her cheeks, Sakuno took her seat again.

Nibbling on the last of her bread and cheese, Sakuno watched with tired fascination as Yagyuu continuously stepped in and out of the room. She could have never guessed what could keep the man so incredibly occupied, but every time he appeared in her sight, his hands were always full—whether it was with papers and documents or occasionally a broom and feather duster.

Once she was finished with her own meal, she carried the remaining dishes to a deep pan full of water. Behind her, she could hear Yagyuu step into the room and exit again. She then followed her ears and found him in a room that she would have never dared to enter previously. It appeared as a study with the presence of shelves and several writing desks while maintaining a stark lack of distracting décor. Also curiously inhabiting a corner was a large circular table, its surface carpeted by a layer of maps, papers, and books. Yagyuu occupied the desk closest to the table, and Sakuno—her earlier fervor diminishing—timidly approached him.

"Yagyuu?"

He spared a glance in her direction before standing and arranging some of the papers on the table.

"Yes?" he finally answered.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" She moved closer.

"No."

The rebuff was blunt rather than sharp, but Sakuno still felt snubbed.

"B-but I can't just stay here doing nothing!" she swiftly protested.

As she again stepped closer, Yagyuu stiffened and deliberately stood between her and the table.

"You are a guest, Tetsuya," he stated. "I mean no offense, but I must ask you to please stop."

Confused, Sakuno tried an apology, unsure why she needed to be contrite.

Yagyuu's countenance softened at the girl's obvious bewilderment. He gently turned her around and led her out of the room while elucidating, "Please understand, miss. I cannot discuss Mr. Sanada's political endeavors with you or have you aware of anything. I do not wish to be rude, but you _did _lie to us earlier about your identity. It is only fair that I be cautious."

Standing in the kitchen once more, Sakuno pointed out that there was no reason for her to care what Sanada's politics were. Yagyuu just stared through her at this comment.

"Well," Yagyuu murmured, "I may take that assurance for now. I do doubt the chance of your being a probe of any sort."

"A probe? Whatever for?"

"...You honestly do not know..." The observation seemed to mystify Yagyuu.

"Know what?" Sakuno tried to ask without demanding.

"Mr. Sanada is the governor of Yamabuki."

"...oh?"

Sakuno's reaction may have been delayed, but as heat flushed her entire face and neck, hands flying her face, she certainly looked alarmed.

"Wait, the _governor_?! I've been staying with the _governor_?!"

An eyebrow quirked on the man's face. "Of course. If he were an ordinary businessman, there would have been no point in housing an alien," he told her, and with an afterthought, he noted mostly to himself, "Your reaction may lessen any chance of your being a spy. Or you may simply be acting; that is always a possibility. For the time being, however, you are no threat here."

Sakuno didn't take notice to the reference about spying when she again implored that she be given some sort of work. "I must do something for all that you've provided! I d-do not wish to ungrateful."

Adjusting his glasses, Yagyuu seemed to be mulling something in his mind before he finally released a breath—too soft to be sigh—and spoke again; "I suppose there would be no harm if you helped some. In fact, you can help me clean the formal dining room."

He walked out of the room, his hand beckoning Sakuno to follow. He continued his dialogue as they stepped down a long unfamiliar hall that led to a room in the front of the house; "Mr. Sanada will be having some company tonight, and this room has become rather untidy in its weeks of disuse. With only three regular occupants, many rooms in this house remain unused."

Propped against a chair was the broom that she had seen him with earlier, and the feather duster was on the table. Yagyuu instructed her to dust the furniture and sweep the floor. Sakuno readily grabbed up the duster since her pain was easing as her muscles warmed to movement, and after giving Yagyuu a grateful smile, she immediately started dusting the chairs.

Yagyuu just shook his head at her enthusiasm and was about to quit the room when he once more spoke to the eager girl.

"If you have any questions, Tetsuya, don't hesitate to ask," he said, his expression growing slightly more serious, "but please, knock when you do."

Left alone to her thoughts and the multitudes of dust bunnies, Sakuno slowed in her enthusiastic cleaning as the revelation about her host sunk in more fully. _The governor of Yamabuki..._ She knew that it was own fault for having disregarded her lessons on foreign politics, but her academic listlessness now proved an unwise disposition. Of all people that she might encounter in Yamabuki, Sanada would be very likely to know the names of foreign royalty.

Worrisome thoughts and worst case scenarios flew about her aching head, and Sakuno fretted over the fact that she had run away only to be discovered a few days later.

_I'll just have to make up another story_. That might work. But she then remembered with much chagrin her abhorrence of journaling lessons as well as her vast inability to maintain white lies as a child.

Another idea came to her. _But Yagyuu mentioned company...maybe I won't have a chance to speak with Sanada. That would only give me time but..._

She swiped at a cobweb in the corner with more ferocity than needed, but she took no notice.

_Time is what I need!_

(...)

It had been a long day. With the party from Fudomine finally returning to their home, one obstacle had been removed. Now, all attention could be put to relocating the princess—as her grandmother so greatly wished. Avoiding a quarrel and the disclosure of Sakuno's situation, Ryoma insisted that Fuji was with her and that she was currently in no danger.

Now, slumped in a chair at a desk, his head resting on his arms, the new king was not so sure. More mysteries had arisen when he had sought out Sir Oishi's cousin—that strange guard who always seemed to know too much for his own good. Momo told him that the guard, whose name was Inui, had taken flight all of sudden. It was unfortunate, as Ryoma had harbored a suspicion that the guard would have been able to provide an innumerable amount of assistance in the search of the runaway princess.

_He was from Rikkaidai, too. It would figure if he and Fuji knew each other. They both probably planned all of this. _Ridiculous though the idea may be, Ryoma's tired mind was willing to accept any farfetched theory.

And besides his wandering sister, Ryoma now faced a line of surfacing dilemmas as he discovered what it was truly like the rule a country. Firstly, his grandmother had informed him that it would be expected of him to host a formal coronation, and outside of ceremonies, there was the tax reform that would have to take place to accommodate the loss of income from the former colony of Fudomine. There had also been a decorous message from the king of Hyoutei who had asked for help in their trade exports as Jyousei was becoming quite a nuisance in foreign negotiations.

The day's events finally taking its toll upon his young, fatigued body, Ryoma felt his conscience slowly slipping into oblivion—until a knock upon the door yanked the aforementioned conscience before it could take its blissful dive. The king felt a growl tickle the back of his throat, but he managed a more civilized, "What?"

He heard the door open, but he didn't bother to lift his head. The shifting of clothes against the fabric of one of the chairs met his ears, but the king didn't see the necessity of giving attention to the unwanted guest.

A female voice then inquired thoughtfully, "Will you be alright, Ryoma?"

His head shot up so fast that he almost gained a painful case of whiplash.

"I thought you left!" he exclaimed, obviously irked.

An gave her usual smile, and as if to further twist the knife in Ryoma, he saw that Kamio also attended her and was standing behind her seat.

"No," she replied sweetly; "Kippei and Shinji left."

"Aren't you needed back in Fudomine?"

"Kippei holds most of the responsibility. I'm not needed."

Ryoma's eyes narrowed—although in actuality the lids had simply slid forward in the boy's current exhaustion.

"And?" he prompted.

"And...I think your sister is as much my responsibility as she is yours. Plus you need someone to keep you calm but still motivated." Her eyes twinkled. "As admirable as your conquering of the throne was, you really need to think rationally before acting."

"...and your guard?" Ryoma allowed himself to relax and leaned back in his chair.

"Kamio?" An clarified, glancing back at the redhead fleetingly. "Oh, he wanted to stay here."

She said that like it was the most natural thing in the world; perhaps only the two males in the room were aware of the color that graced Kamio's cheeks at this statement.

"Well," Ryoma finally relented with a lazy scratch on the head; "if you believe that Sakuno is also your responsibility, are you capable of giving suggestions rather than your constant nagging?"

The woman hesitated. "...I'm sorry, Ryoma. Are you angry?"

"Yes," he replied; "but not at you, necessarily."

The hour of the night interposed in that brief pause, looming over the room's patrons like a thick fog. In his delirium, Ryoma could almost hear the warning call of the horn, and the flickering lamp—the only bead of light in the dank castle room—grew akin to the guiding beacon of a lighthouse. Memories of running beside the grassy cliffs of the southeastern coast, of waiting the return of the fishing boats, of inhaling the soothing scent of sea salt, of running with an equally young little girl through the airy halls of the seaside chateau—memories so keen yet so distant scratched at the back of the king's eyelids when a small hand made him start. Opening the eyes he couldn't remember closing, Ryoma saw that An had knelt beside him, an odd look of imploration on her pretty face. The guard, Ryoma hardly thought to look at, but he noticed movement in the corner of his eye that told him the illusion before him was real.

"There is something that disturbs me, though," the woman whispered with uncertainty; "Before Kippei left, he and I were talking. Well, I told him everything about your sister, and he didn't seem to mind too much if I stayed, but—" Here she hesitated again. "I wasn't aware. He told me about Nanjiroh. That he—"

"Was killed by your brother?" Interrupting the slow progression, Ryoma spoke candidly, "I already knew."

She blinked in surprise as this had apparently been news to her. "But—"

"Does it truly not bother you to befriend the son of your enemy?" Ryoma asked, recalling in the back of his mind that this question had already been asked days before.

Sitting up, he offered a second hand to her and helped her stand from her humble position on the floor. He also stood, reveling in the fact that he stood several inches taller than the older woman, and he allowed a smirk, albeit a kind one.

Reassured, An lightly joked, "Isn't that what I should be asking you?"

_Perhaps. _A shrug was all that was given in response until a mischievous glimmer that was more befitting to the king's age entered his eyes. "But I thought you were the sister, not the son."

Scoffing, An moved quickly so that Ryoma was nearly taken by surprise when a throw cushion was flung at him.

"You know what I mean!" Trying to sound defensive, she failed miserably before breaking into laughter.

Ryoma tossed the pillow back at her, but as she ducked, it instead hit Kamio who had been watching all of this with some unease. All went quiet for a brief moment, before An collapsed into a chair and was attacked by another fit of giggles.

Kamio, now smiling slightly, dropped the pillow onto her with a mutter, "That was meant for you."

Ryoma watched all of this as he reclaimed his own seat. Perhaps it was annoying that Lady An and her guard were still at the castle, but he surrendered to the idea at last, accepting that a little comical relief was what they all definitely needed.

(...)

"And what exactly were you trying to do?"

The words were calm, pointed, yet still a biting edge clung to every syllable as Sanada towered over the femininely built boy—no, the _girl_ who had posed as a boy. He—_she_—had been cleaning when he had arrived at the house earlier than usual, and while his initial reaction was to hunt out Yagyuu from whom he would demand an explanation, he instead found himself standing in the kitchen and interrogating this odd creature. Outwardly showing no difference in having accepted the truth about her sex, he still felt a tremor in his spine at the very idea of a girl spiriting herself away from home only to disguise herself as a boy and end up working for him—of all places in the world to end up, it had to be in Yamabuki.

Of course.

Armed with nothing more than a broom and a dustpan, the girl before him swallowed before she said, "I...wanted to help."

Sanada felt a wave in his gut. He wished it were further annoyance. He could not imagine himself worrying over such trite matters, yet he found himself saying, "You are injured."

At this statement, indignation flashed on the face of Tetsuya—causing an awkward grimace to pass over Sanada's features as he again thought of her with that false identity.

"I'm not an invalid," she said with as much venom as she dared before Sanada—which, frankly, was not much.

Yagyuu then entered the kitchen and, unknowingly to the rescue of his employer, asked if there were anything else which he wanted set up in the dining room.

"You moved all the maps into the room?"

"Yes, sir."

"And food?" Less important, thought Sanada, but it would be the polite thing to provide for out-of-town arrivals.

"That, too, sir. Will they be arriving soon?"

A call from the hallway answered the question, "Looks like Marui and Kuwahara just arrived!" A couple seconds had passed when Niou added, "Sir."

With his attention now given completely to Niou who stood in the doorway, Sanada nodded; "Let them in the front."

As Niou gave some predictable reply and sauntered away, Sanada could not control his peripheral vision as he noticed that Yagyuu led Tetsuya to the table. A comment concerning Tetsuya's bruises and a mild retort that they had been fine all day long drifted in the air behind him.

As long as Yagyuu got her settled in the kitchen, Sanada knew he need not worry, so he headed down the hall after Niou. A rare bubble of humor lifted a smile onto his face as he considered the irony of his accountant's surfacing maternal tendencies. He walked into the dining room—lit only by the dying light of the sun and numerous candles from the pedestals on the table and the wall sconces. The dancing orange light cast a clandestine air to the room and the current engagement, but this Sanada brushed off with disinterest as he joined the table where his guests and Niou had already arranged themselves. Before he could sit, the dark-skinned one—Kuwahara, the governor of Higa—stood to meet him in a handshake.

"Thank you for letting us meet here, Sanada," he said with a pleased smile. "Is Yanagi coming?"

"He should be, yes," Sanada answered as the other man retook his seat; he took his own opposite of the redheaded Marui. "Please, have something to eat. I realize the trip from Higa must have wearied you."

"Thank you, but the matter at hand has destroyed whatever appetite I would normally have."

Yagyuu presently came into the room and sat down beside Niou at the table. Kuwahara nodded in greeting to the man before he continued.

"We've been having problems with the Higa-Jyousei border for some time now," he recalled. "And now that outlaws have taken the liberty of pillaging small villages and caravans near that border, I fear that the Jyousei queen will only ignore any complaints of ours."

"Fancy that," Niou murmured sarcastically; "that a nation who once made the world tremble is now an object of ridicule for that whore."

Yagyuu slapped the back of his hand on his companion's shoulder but only halfheartedly. He as well as the three attending governors knew that Niou's remark was far from false.

"Do you have any leads?" Sanada asked.

"Yes—well," Kuwahara said with a disbelieving annoyance; "to add insult to injury, the leader of this band _is_ infamous. Wakato Hiroshi. There is already a sizeable bounty for him in Jyousei."

"But the queen doesn't want to help you?" Marui demanded as he took a large bite of some cake he had found on the table. "Hn, this is really good!"

"Marui, pay attention," Kuwahara said tiredly to the governor of Shitenhouji.

"Yes, yes, yes," Marui said, waving one hand, the other hand snatching a strawberry. "I am paying attention—pillaging, bandits, whore-queen of Jyousei."

"Anyway," Kuwahara sighed; "his group isn't that large from what few eyewitnesses have seen. I'd say that there are four, maybe five, of them. Most of their success is by means of bluffing, intimidation, play-acting."

"Perhaps, then, Rikkaidai's lack of a military will not be a handicap," Yagyuu mused.

"You know," Marui piped up—still with a full mouth, "other than us governors, a lot of the officers from before the division are still living in the old Shitenhouji capital. Maybe I could round some of them up."

"That could work, but it would take time," Sanada pointed out.

"But minutemen composed of farmers, woodsmen, and sailors at best may not be the strongest team," Kuwahara said, a hand unconsciously scratching at the stubble on the back of his shaven head.

"We may have no choice."

(...)

Finishing her cup of tea, Sakuno decided to wander outside for some fresh air. She felt a calm wash over her, as she stepped out into the dusky night, her eyes reflecting the swirls of glittering pebbles in the black sky.

Sanada was in that meeting—whatever that was about, and for another night, Sakuno was safe. As she rounded the large hedge, heading toward the field where she had seen Sanada and Niou sparring the day before, she nearly collided with another person.

Taken utterly by surprise, she stumbled backwards and ungracefully landed in a heap on the ground. Jumping, this stranger seemed shocked, too, and when Sakuno saw that it was merely a lanky young man with a smudge of dirt on his nose, she felt less worried.

"Sorry, excuse me," he apologized or rather exclaimed as his voice was quite loud; turning his head, he called to another, "Mr. Yanagi, there's someone else here."

And then a man taller than any other she had encountered on her entire journey materialized before her.

_Uh...who is this? _Her mind was in a jumble that she almost did not notice that the loud-mouthed man was helping her back up.

"I apologize," the tall one said with a serene voice, much softer than Sakuno would have thought such a man would have; "I did not realize that Genichirou had a house guest."

Those small eyes of his—heavy-lidded as they where so that Sakuno originally thought they were closed—scrutinized her with an alarming alacrity, but he soon just nodded politely at her, excused himself, and passed her to enter the house.

_Well, he must be here for Sanada's meeting...strange, though. _Sakuno looked back at the man who was really little more than a boy, and facing his large smile, she returned it weakly.

"Do you want to come inside?" she asked him, dismissing the strange feeling that she was acting like a host for a house in which she was a guest.

"I usually stay outside when Mr. Yanagi visits, but," he said with a friendly grin, "sure."

Leading him inside and plopping herself back into a chair, Sakuno watched the boy tentatively sit before her and introduce himself as Aoi, bona fide sidekick of the great Rokkaku governor. Sakuno couldn't help but smile at his animation.

"What's your name?" His smile grew larger as he asked the question.

It was an ordinary thing for one stranger to ask another stranger, yet the girl unintentionally balked as she weighed her options. Her adopted name and story seemed inappropriate since her guise had been exposed, but she couldn't be sure what Aoi thought—if he had assumed her gender. Honestly, he did not seem as unnervingly observant as his superior had, but she found herself incapable of lying to the open manner of the boy before her. With a furtive glance to the door, confirming that they were alone, she smiled at Aoi.

"My name is Sakuno," she told him, and with nitpickiness overwhelming her at last, she add; "You have some dirt on your nose."

"Oh, I do?" He laughed with a swipe at his nose and then beamed at her. "Did I get it?"

A small giggle escaped the girl before she had even felt it in her throat. "Yes."

"Thanks, Sakuno!"

(...)

"I'm glad that you could make it," Sanada murmured to Yanagi, one of the limited few who would ever hear such words from the governor of Yamabuki.

Distanced from the others, he and Yanagi stood near a window. The official meeting had ended, and Marui had finally convinced Kuwahara to eat while Yagyuu had disappeared down some dark hallway with a silver-haired imp close on his heels.

"Of course," Yanagi replied.

Even among political equals, these two governors were well respected. And in the midst of the fear and esteem which the two men received over the long years of their careers, a strong intimacy had grown between them. From their adolescence spent together in military academy, their young adulthood on the battlefield during the war against Jyousei, the short time of calm between the end of the war and the start of the epidemic, Sanada and Yanagi had experienced much together. It remained an unspoken but all too true sentiment that they were relieved when they both emerged from the epidemic unscathed. When it felt as though the world were going up in flames and the foundation of Rikkaidai was crumbling, their friendship and confidence had lingered in the putrid remains of that glorious nation.

"You will send further negotiations to Queen Hanamura then?" Sanada brought up.

"Yes. It may be a waste of time and effort, but it is a wise alternative to simply ignoring her." Yanagi managed to give his friend a look without his eyes moving—a strange corner vision that had never failed to unnerve Sanada somewhat. "And your plan? Will minutemen work?"

"I have strong and loyal workers," Sanada defended. "I will speak with them tomorrow. Action is better than waiting at this point, as you yourself mentioned."

Yanagi released a soft grunt in reply, and both stood in silence, staring through the glass pane at nothing in particular. A heavy blackness had overtaken the trees outside, shrouding the mountain forests in a thick shade of night. Only the myriad of stars above cast a faint glow upon the cooling earth.

"That boy," Yanagi started suddenly, "Akaya...does he still work for you?"

Sanada blinked at the sudden inquiry. "Yes, he still does." _Why? _The second half of the question remained silent.

"Hm. How is he?"

"Inexperienced, rude, maniacal—" Sanada paused at Yanagi's chuckle. "—but a hard worker, nevertheless."

To answer the unspoken, as Yanagi always managed to do, the tall man explained, "His adoptive family asks of him sometimes."

_Ah, the Kiriharas—shipbuilders and mappers of Rokkaku. _Sanada had always wondered how such an unruly child could have been raised by such a renowned family. Secondly, he wondered why they would adopt a child in the first place, but those were personal affairs that he never dwelt upon for long since they didn't concern him.

"Ah, this shall seem like an interrogation, Genichirou," Yanagi changed the subject with a small smile. "But I've been infected with curiosity. Who is your lady friend?"

Sanada almost choked on a breath of air—something he would have never thought possible before.

"Pardon?" he managed to choke out.

In a bizarre show of sadism, Yanagi seemed to revel in his friend's discomfort. "You know of whom I speak."

"...she is a traveler."

"Oh?" The lone prompt came since only the apparent had been divulged.

Sanada finally relented, knowing fully well that he did not wish to play a guessing game with Yanagi. "She claims that she is from Seigaku, but beyond that, I do not know. She was hired for logging, but she was injured. She stayed here with Yagyuu today."

An eyebrow was raised. "You knowingly a hired a female?"

"...she was passing herself off as a boy."

Yanagi glanced sharply at Sanada. "Interesting. Any foul play involved?"

With a thought, Sanada finally voiced his feelings on the situation. "No...she seems too refined to be a lawbreaker of any sort. She speaks well as though she were educated. Her clothes are simple but of good quality; though I suppose she could have stolen them."

"You doubt that," Yanagi observed.

"She's ridiculously timid," Sanada explained.

Yanagi moved to speak to again, but he suddenly looked behind him. Sanada followed his gaze to see that Kuwahara had stood from the table. Finished with his food, Kuwahara as well as Marui approached the two men by the window.

"Sanada," Kuwahara started, "Marui and I were speaking. We came up with an idea of how to deal with these outlaws. It's a little risky."

"But it might work!" Marui interrupted, his eyes bright.

Sanada and Yanagi regarded Kuwahara expectantly.

"Are you familiar with Kite Eishirou?"

Both visages of the two older governors darkened at the mention of that man.

"The great captain of the king's army who defiled the honest name of all officers with his crimes? I'm all too familiar with that name," Sanada growled.

Unabashed, Kuwahara explained his motive. "See, during the epidemic, he had gathered himself a small but powerful gang of thieves and mercenaries. Although his gang flourished under the weak government at the time, my authorities in Higa have since apprehended him. He is in jail, but..." His voice trailed as Sanada's expression had not changed. "...his gang still exists keeping themselves more or less passive. If we used Kite and his gang, they could possibly help us against the Jyousei bandits."

"That is absurd," Sanada stated, point-blank.

"It takes a thief to know a thief," Yanagi mused. "Genichirou, it does make sense. It could work, but it _is_ unbelievably risky." Directing his attention to Kuwahara, Yanagi asked him what the bargain would be. "We cannot command him to help. What would we offer him? Amnesty?"

Kuwahara looked defeated in that point. "There's nothing else that he could possibly want."

Sanada glared out the window, a mutter about bargaining with criminals or some other such derogatory statement sliding out of his lips. He remembered Kite far more than he pleased. Not only had that disgusting maggot of a man been a respected captain well on his way to promotion, he had been the personal escort of the queen for many years. That position was retired only when the queen was taken by the epidemic.

"Genichirou?" Yanagi touched the other's shoulder.

"Fine," Sanada barely managed to say understandably. "Speak to the man if you wish. I personally would not do it, but if you think he will be of use, who am I to stop you?"

Kuwahara nodded, though a little shame did cloud his eyes. "I should leave now, then—the sooner, the better."

"Same here," Marui piped up. "And I wasn't joking about finding the old officers. It'll take me a couple of days, but if you all don't have those stupid bandits rounded up by then, I'll have an army."

Accepting both of their ideas, Sanada accompanied the two men to the front door, bidding them farewell and safe traveling. Once he had seen the two out, he returned to Yanagi who remained in the dining room, waiting.

"Well, I should leave, too. I will have a message dispatched to Queen Hanamura immediately," he remarked placidly to Sanada.

Sanada tiredly thanked the man as the past few days were wearing on him greatly. He was not terribly old, but he now understood why his superiors had always groaned of the great inevitable disease called "age".

"Will that girl stay here when you embark on your crusade?"

Sanada hadn't thought of that before. "...probably. Yagyuu will be here as well."

Yanagi just smiled to himself and left the room to fetch Aoi.

Alone at last, Sanada sank into a chair. To allow his mind to slow down. To allow his nerves to rest. To allow himself to mull everything over before he succumbed to sleep.

To think of anything but that child Tetsuya...

(...)

_"You don't have to come." His words sounded weaker than he had intended, but Fuji kept his gaze steady upon the taller man._

_ "It's no trouble, really," Taka answered in his standard, amiable manner. "You haven't been here for years, and some of the roads have been changed."_

_ Part of him wanted to join him; another part of him repulsed the idea. No form of fault lie within Taka, for Fuji blamed himself entirely on this awkward relationship of theirs. Still, he found his resolve weakening before the other. _

_ "The inn?" he asked._

_ "Saeki can manage for a few days," Taka said._

_ "Well..." his voice diminished. _

_ There was nothing left to say in that moment, but he still had a nagging feeling that so much remained unspoken between them. It was nearly suffocating._

And it still was suffocating. Night had fallen, but Fuji and Taka grazed the outskirts of Yamabuki at last. Little conversation had been exchanged in the past few hours, but Taka had remained as friendly as usual, as though sensing Fuji's desire for the blanket of quiet. Or rather he recognized that Fuji desperately needed that silence to sort his thoughts. Regardless, the road leading to the mountain province had seemed to stretch for miles and miles, an endless path that always brushed the unattainable horizon.

Taka endeavored to break the silence at last. "We need to stay somewhere, I suppose. But I don't know of any inns in Yamabuki."

"Not many visitors?"

Taka shrugged. "Apparently not."

They continued up the pebbly road curving around the large boulder, but before they rounded the corner onto the main road leading to the heart of the small town, Fuji caught a glimpse of light.

"Wait, there is someone," he observed, pointing with his hand at a figure before them.

"Sure enough."

Taka took the initiative and stepped forward to greet the other person who turned out to be a young boy with gangly limbs and closely shorn stubble for hair. He stood before a rough gate that adorned the front of a small cottage; the source of the light revealed itself as a lamp that hung from a post above his head. As Fuji and Taka drew near to him, his large eyes scanned the traveling pair with a nearly childish inquisitiveness, but when he was questioned about any place of lodging, a look of confusion transformed into mild panic on his face.

"Uh, uh, I'm not from here, actually," he said rather loudly. "But I—you could—"

Fuji just watched the boy with jaded interest while Taka's hands were mechanically raised in a gesture to calm the boy down.

"It's okay," he tried to assure the teenager, "We can ask someone else."

"But I—" The boy stopped and turned abruptly to the cottage to knock loudly upon the door.

A small boy with a mess of black hair falling about his face quickly answered the door. The intruder then launched into a unnecessarily loud tirade.

"I know that Mr. Yanagi told me to wait for him, but," he hurriedly explained as a hand waved back at Fuji and Taka, "there are people here who need help, and I don't know what to tell them!"

The small boy blinked at him, but before an answer could be procured from him, a large, calm-faced man came out from behind him.

"Please, Aoi, you do not need to speak so loudly," he told the boisterous one. "I am finished now. We may leave."

While the tall man stepped out to join the named "Aoi", the little boy stepped forward to Fuji and Taka who had been watching all of this silently—trying to decide whether or not to wait or move on to another place.

"Hello," the little boy said in a surprisingly deep voice to them. "You needed help, please?"

Fuji bit the inside of his cheek, realizing that the "little" boy was much older than he had assumed. Thankfully, Taka answered for the pair with familiarity, reiterating their dilemma as travelers in need of a night's shelter. While those two were engaged in their conversation, Fuji felt only partially attached. His eyes gravitated to where that "Aoi" and tall man had walked down the road, the darkness of the night swallowing their bodies. The tall one had met his gaze, entirely nonchalant. He had nodded to him, and Fuji had found himself returning the gesture. Odd how that man seemed all too familiar to him, but he could not place his finger on a name—or even a vague reason as to why he thought that he should know whom that man was.

"That's okay! You can stay here with us, Taka."

The cheerful words cut into Fuji's thoughts, and he caught himself from jumping. His blue eyes widened slightly, and he tugged on Taka's elbow once the boy had disappeared back inside, encouraging them to follow him.

"Syuusuke?" Taka's voice questioned.

"I'm sorry," Fuji murmured, somewhat embarrassed that he had been entirely distracted before. "Who exactly is this?"

"Oh." Taka seemed relieved, or maybe Fuji imagined that. "That's Taichi. I know his brother."

Fuji hummed in turn and let Taka go inside before he joined him in the cramped room. The door shut beside him as Taichi appeared again. He insisted that they make themselves comfortable while he prepared some beds for them. Fuji looked about the room and saw two other occupants in the room. Leaning out of an open window, a pale man with some of the strangest hair Fuji had ever seen was handling a lit pipe. There was another boy whom he almost did not notice except for the blur of more pale skin and a mass of messy black curls disappearing up into a loft above them. Taichi apologized to Fuji and Taka at the lack of room, but he appeared quite willing to house them. By this point, the pipe-man turned his head with disinterest toward them, taking a long drag from the pipe.

"Evening, Akutsu," Taka tried to say.

Akutsu barely registered the greeting and instead of speaking blew the smoke out through his nostrils. Fuji nearly cringed as the action had very much reminded him of something a dragon would do while sizing up his next meal; actually, with that idea in mind, he could honestly picture this "Akutsu" with gray scales to match his hair, a pair of webbed wings, and a set of sharp, blood-stained claws. He blamed the sudden image on his exhaustion and pushed it from his mind although he still decided that he felt most comfortable with Taka firmly placed between himself and the dragon.

"What are you doing here, Kawamura?" a deep voice finally drawled, smoke likewise making an escape from Akutsu's mouth.

"Jin," Taichi chastised from where he had been digging blankets out a trunk, "don't be so rude, please."

The yellow gaze shifted to the younger brother. "Hmph. Don't tell me what to do, twerp."

A voice drifted down from the loft, "But that's what he's good at!"

Taichi glared up at the loft from which a small candlelight glow now floated. "Nobody asked you, Akaya!"

The head of black curls reappeared over the edge of the loft as his green eyes narrowed at Taichi. "I don't need anyone to ask me," he bit back.

While those two soon burst into a great argument, Taka went to lean on the wall beside Akutsu, and though Fuji was still bothered by this dragon of a man, he allowed himself to relax beside Taka. His eyes followed Taichi as the boy almost tripped up the ladder to the loft, and his ears perked at the conversation between Akutsu and Taka.

"We're here on...business," he heard Taka say.

"You own an inn," Akutsu muttered, obviously not believing Taka's excuse.

His eyes roved to where Fuji was as though he just now noticed his presence, but he neither spoke to Fuji nor mentioned him to Taka. That piercing gaze turned to the outdoors again as he inhaled more smoke from the pipe.

Fuji sighed and closed his eyes as he forced himself to remember his original reasons for coming here—to find Sakuno, first and foremost. Only the gods knew what sort of trouble the girl could have gotten herself into, and frankly, it had only been the assurance from his brother-in-law that those merchants Akazawa and Kaneda were upright men that kept Fuji from having a heart attack yet.

_That girl will be the death of me someday. _His thoughts lacked malice, however, as he continued to pray again and again in his mind that Sakuno would be whole when he found her. If any sort of trauma befell her, he would never forgive himself. _I've been cruel to those closest to me once before. I cannot allow that to happen again._ He felt a hand close over his gently, and his eyes blinked open. He first looked at his hand and then at its owner who smiled reassuringly to him as if to pacify the self-destructive reflections. Fuji couldn't find it in himself to return the smile and instead closed his eyes again. He accepted the distraction for the moment, as distractions are sometimes needed.

And somehow, it never occurred to him that he should be bothered—by a hand that clung to him so warmly, so protectively. For the moment, it was just a respite—just a distraction—nothing more.

**CHAPTER SEVEN - END**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Another night passed. Time had been allowed, and she was still safe.

Yet following a night of insomnia, exhaustion crept upon her where she sat on the bed, feet neatly tucked beside her. She was unaware of the time; she could only assume the number of hours which had passed after during the seemingly endless hours of sleeplessness. She listened to the creaks and mumbles of the house as the growing wind caressed it, and a faint glow of gray light slowly repossessed dominion of the room. A few moments before, she had heard the soft padding of feet in other rooms, but they had been faint, easily fitting between the trebles and tenors of the aging wooden walls. But they had left the reminder that Sakuno was indeed awake, and that time was still moving, the sun still rising, the morning still expecting.

She contemplated running again.

But to where? More importantly, how? She knew nothing of Rikkaidai, and though she had been blessed enough to have been led to shelter before, she doubted her chances of a repeat case. She flopped onto her back, eyes blearily staring at the wood-grained ceiling above her. She reminded herself that she had made friends in Rokkaku. Perhaps they knew Fuji. Maybe she would even run into Fuji were she to go to these friends. But before she could do any of that, she remembered with slight dread, she would have to first leave the house and go to the village—all without arousing any suspicion.

The very thought pushed a groan of despair past her lips, but she forced herself off of the bed, thinking it better to leave than to wait until later. Trying to leave the room in a somewhat presentable state, she tugged on the thick sheets and blankets on the bed straighten them. She finally left it alone as some wrinkles determined to remain and as her recollection of trying quite unsuccessfully to make her bed the day before taunted her. Discarding the shirt which she had borrowed for a nightgown, she hurriedly dressed into her page clothes, stooping to retrieve a wrinkled card that had fallen from the pants' pocket.

She paused at the door, ears tense as she listened for any noise of movement on the other side. When silence was all that greeted her, she opened the door—but a crack as she knew it creaked rather loudly—and squeezed through the opening. Opting for the cushioning of the rugs than the hard wood floors, she quickly stepped through the short hall into the kitchen. She was reassured of the early hour when she saw that no fire graced the stove which she presumed was the first thing that Yagyuu would tend to in his morning schedule. The coast clear, she hastily yet quietly searched for a canteen to fill with water; however, she debated with herself as to whether or not she should take any food. Taking food would certainly mean taking more time which Sakuno decided was not expedient, so she went outside through the back door, again conscious of any noise the wood might try to emit.

Outside of the house, the air was damp with dew, and the hovering scent of water spoke of a possible nighttime shower. There was a dim glow in the dawn tracing the outline of the house and trees surrounding it with a pale, gray line. Everything was still as though time had momentarily stopped, but the silence was cheerfully broken by snippets of melodic conversation fluttering through the treetops by birds awakening with the sun. The ground sank with every step she took as she went to the water pump. Her lack of sleep could not harm her as adrenaline filled her veins, and worries about her means of leaving bothered her.

But a noise disconnected with nature's morning yawn suddenly fell onto Sakuno's ears. It was slight, but she immediately stiffened as she soon recognized it to be conversation. She told herself to resist the temptation, but her feet moved without her accord, leading her to the top of the hill before the sparring field.

Below her, Niou and Sanada were wiping and sharpening their blades. Crouched on the ground, Niou would occasionally look up to Sanada to say something, and now that she was closer, Sakuno could discern a few of the words.

"So, who're you planning to grab up?"

The question confused the girl, but she found herself intrigued and listened to Sanada's response.

"Our men from the site will help. I know they will." Sanada handed the kerchief he had been using to Niou. "There may be old soldiers in the village who will help at a moment's notice."

She saw Niou nod and, much to her surprise, glance up at the hill. She immediately ducked down against the ground and hoped that he hadn't seen her. He made no mention of her, however, which made her trust that he had not seen her at all. Instead, he stood and threw aside the kerchief.

"That's true. What was that lieutenant's name again?" Niou said wonderingly. "Sengoku?"

"Yes. He is one that I am sure will go with us."

Niou laughed. "Hard to imagine—a lieutenant turned tailor. All so that he can make dresses for all the 'pretty ladies'."

Sanada flexed his arm and swung his sword a couple of times, the blade creating a noticeable note as it cut through the air. "You would do the same."

Niou raised his own sword, and without any words spoken, metal came upon metal. The sharp clang met Sakuno's ears with strong resonation, and fascinated to the point where plans of running away were pushed to the back of her mind, she laid herself flat on the ground, her head propped up by her hands. Her eyes tried to follow the movement, but many a time, she lost track of who was whom and which of the men had ducked and which had jumped forward with a jab. She smiled in bemused entertainment as the conversation continued as though there had been no pause to duel.

"Yes, I would do the same," Niou retorted; "except that I was never promoted beyond sergeant and have never given a woman a second look."

Sakuno's breathing hitched as Sanada barely sidestepped out the blade's swing, but she noticed with interest that he almost looked bored.

"The point remains, Niou."

"Really?" Sakuno squinted so that she could tell that the change of expression in Niou was one of his infuriating smirks. "What about you? And—oh, say—Tetsuya?"

The silver-haired man laughed as he obviously caught Sanada off guard while Sakuno felt her face flush.

Using the contact from their blades, Sanada shoved Niou away from him. "He—"

"She," Niou corrected.

Sanada glared at him. "_She_ has nothing to do with this."

The match apparently ending, Niou swung his sword in a careless circle as he laughed. "Sure. Why don't we ask her?"

Sanada looked about to say something, and Sakuno felt a desire to sink into the ground as though she had never existed.

"Hey, Tetsuya!" The call was from Niou.

_No, no, no. _Well, Niou apparently had seen her earlier, much to the princess's chagrin. Despite her embarrassment, she willed herself to stand and saw Niou waving up at her. Sanada, on the other hand, stared in the opposite direction, seemingly fascinated with something in the distance.

"Come on down here," Niou invited with a grin. "I wanna show you something!"

She was sure that little good intention lay in his words, but Sakuno found herself moving down the stone stairs until she was on level ground with the two swordfighters. She stood stiffly before them as Niou swaggered over to her.

"Hey, is that water?" he asked, motioning to the canteen, but he didn't even wait for her to answer as he continued; "That sure is nice of you. Don't you think—Mr. Sanada?"

The other man jolted out of his supposedly indifferent state. "Stop harassing the child, Niou."

Sakuno felt embarrassed by the obvious avoidance of saying _girl_ or_ her_, but she started as Niou suddenly draped himself over shoulders, a devious grin still stretching his face.

"Hey, you know how we're going to be leaving her all alone?"

The words, although directed toward Sanada, had a panicking effect on Sakuno. _Alone? What do they mean? _

"Yagyuu will be here with her," the larger man clarified.

"Still," Niou purred as he took the canteen from Sakuno and wrapped his arms about her; "any girl living so close to the wilderness and without someone as strong as a soldier to protect her would be smart to learn...some self-defense? Yeah?"

The shaking girl was beyond any form of embarrassment now as she wished to push herself away from Niou only to find that she couldn't make herself move. Although she doubted the silver-haired man meant to do anything inappropriate or dangerous—especially in the presence of his employer, their positioning was awkward. She flinched as his sword suddenly swung before her, but she would never have expected that he would be placing the hilt into her hands. When her hand remained lax, he closed his own fingers onto hers, wrapping them around the leather. All of this Sanada had watched from the corner of his eye, and somehow that made it all the more embarrassing for Sakuno.

"Well, Mr. Sanada?" Niou slid away from Sakuno who now held a long sword in her wobbling arms. "Who would be better to teach her than an old general himself?"

Sanada didn't look at the other two, but he finally gave a gruff response. "You are right, Niou."

Sakuno blinked, and when Sanada fully turned to her, her arms wobbled despite the sword's light weight. He looked at her, the gaze burning her skin, when he finally told her to try taking a stance. Having never held a sword before, Sakuno hesitatingly braced her feet and held the sword out as though she were about to knight someone. There was a snort of laughter behind her when Niou picked up the canteen from where it had been laid on the ground. Even Sanada's condescending glare didn't silence him, but he just said something about getting out of the way. Whatever passed between the two men before Niou's return to the house sounded muffled to Sakuno's ears as she stared at her own reflection in the blade. Niou was gone before she realized, and a sudden presence standing beside her startled her.

"Bend your elbows," she heard Sanada instruct while he gently pushed her arms back. "Whenever you are not striking, keep your arms bent close to your body. You can control your sword better that way."

The warmth of his hands could be felt through her shirt sleeves, and Sakuno willed herself to not freeze at the tingling sensation. Nervously, she swallowed.

"Your knees are shaking," he observed as he again faced her and raised his sword. "You must use the muscles in your leg. Strike with purpose."

She paused at his invitation to swing. "But I don't—"

"You won't hurt anyone," he deadpanned.

Almost too scared to watch the metal as it whistled through the air, Sakuno gave a broad, circular swing toward Sanada which he easily deflected. She yelped in surprise, her grip slackening, but Sanada shot forward and caught the relinquished weapon by the hilt.

"Try again," he said as he gave the sword back to her, the words hardly more than a murmur; "Keep your grip strong. As I said, strike with purpose."

_Purpose. Yes. _Sakuno eyes narrowed in concentration. _Sword fighting is offensive. Isn't that what Ryoma always told me? _

She swayed slightly on her stumblingfeet as words of instruction broke through the liquid air. _Stay on the balls of your feet. Balance yourself. _She lunged forward half a step, but the movement seemed restrained and slow as though she were chained to a lead ball. Her slice was easily countered, almost knocking her to her feet.

_The head, the neck, and the torso are vulnerable. _Her eyes scanned her opponent's upper body, searching for an opening, pausing at the expanse of tan skin revealed above the collar bone. _In the offense, each attack is meant to kill._ She lunged again, her mind entirely focused on the man before her. She forgot that she was Sakuno, that she was a runaway princess in a decimatedland, that she had received an unsettling tarot, that she had no business sparring with a man who had once been a general. Her sudden burst of courage when she attacked seemed to ignite a spark of interest in her opponent's coal black eyes, but expectedly, his weapon cut before him before she had even the opportunity to swing. He caught her attack, and she soon found herself on the ground, her sword lying unceremoniously beside her. Dazed at first, she blushed furiously as she realized what she had just done, but before any utterance of apology could leave her lips, a hand was before her, offering to help her stand.

"You are inexperienced," Sanada remarked offhandedly, a touch of amusement lacing his voice, but his eyes glimmered with a flame that Sakuno had to bite the inside of her cheek in order to ignore. "But you are persistent. Above all, that is an admirable trait in any soldier."

Surprisingly unflustered by the encouragement, Sakuno took the offered the hand. Vaguely aware of voices calling from the house, she was only captivated by the strange and sudden openness of her host. She blinked a little, as though expecting the man to be a mirage.

Undeterred by her silence, Sanada raised his sword again, a playfully predatory gleam in the eyes that Sakuno could not look away from. "Do you wish to continue?"

She stared at him—at the eyes ever brimming with emotion, contradicting the austerity of his face, but a tiny smile crept onto her face, miraculously still lacking in a blush.

"Yes," she found herself saying; "I do."

(...)

As the early morning sun graced the forests of Yamabuki, while a young girl and a weathered soldier dueled mere miles away, Fuji took a deep breath, reveling in the brief, quiet moment before he once again embarked on his search. His eyes were affixed to the speckles of pollen dancing in the shafts of morning light, yet he heard the sound of an oven door creaking and another door opening and then closing. At first assuming the other person to be Taichi, Fuji realized that the boy would be much more talkative, and a quick glance revealed the other early morning riser to be the pale, curly-haired boy. They both paid no mind to each other, and that was just as well since both were entirely lost to their own thoughts, each having a mountain of concerns in his heart. His skin tingled in the cool morning air, but he still felt warm from having slept so close to another person. His lips thinned, however, into a line as he tried to think of more important things. He and Taka would continue on their way soon, and he needed to be focused.

_What will happen when you find the princess? _Well, the plan had been to leave Seigaku for a while, but that idea had been already been slaughtered. The most logical step would be to simply return. The very idea depressed Fuji, whispering to him that he had failed the girl whom he had helped to raise the past six years. So absorbed in feelings of remorse and self-pity was Fuji that he winced rather strongly when a hand touched his shoulder.

"Syuusuke?" Blue eyes widened at the sudden appearance beside him, but the slighter man relaxed when he realized that it was only Taka.

"So, what will happen?" There was a strain in Taka's lighthearted tone.

Fuji tensed. "What do you mean?"

The noises of a routine morning were behind them, interrupting the bouts of awkward silence between them.

"When you find the princess," Taka hesitated as he spoke, "are you going to return to Seigaku immediately?"

Taka's intuitive question stabbed Fuji, but pausing only to return a _good morning_ to Taichi, he locked eyes with Taka and tried to be completely honest.

"...I don't know."

Nothing could have been more appropriate for the brunette than to find a deep hole and bury himself in it. Taka, nevertheless, accepted the vague answer with his usual smile.

"I suppose you'll know when we find her," he said lightly.

And there the conversation ended—no unwanted questions, no questionable sentiments. Fuji only imagined the prickling of his skin where Taka brushed against it as the taller man walked away. Fuji's glaring blue eyes focused on the pollen once again, the extra strain beginning to ache in his forehead. There was nothing wrong with him or with Taka.

There was nothing left unspoken.

(...)

"So."

"So."

The two men kept their faces calm and unapproachable while they sized the other up. Everyone else in the room was apprehensive. Few people knew of this building, or rather what the building was used as. Only an elite few were present upon the guest's arrival, however, and they stared wonderingly at this man who so boldly approached the gang leader.

Inui found all of it much too amusing.

"Kajimoto," he said with a smirk; "You don't act all surprised to see me."

Kajimoto laughed lightly, surprising his fellow men when he slapped Inui on the back. "I'm never surprised with you, Inui."

Following the interaction, Inui's ears caught the wave of murmuring which came the three other gang members. He sensed Kaidoh sidle closer to him, noticing that the younger boy was intimidated as much as he might deny the idea.

"Nya? Boss knows this guy?" one of the redheads whispered to his two companions.

"Who knows?" A deep voice answered, followed by a snort.

"Davide, shut up." There was audible thump as a fist connected with a head.

Kajimoto entirely ignored their commotion. "What does bring you here this suddenly, Inui?" He asked languidly as he sank into a chair. "To the scenic waterside warehouse of the infamous Kajimoto Takahisa?"

Recognizing the unspoken invitation, Inui sat in a chair across from the brunette. "Fuji."

Kajimoto sat more rigidly in his chair. "What happened?"

The gang leader's reaction was a good sign as Fuji's well-being still concerned him. Gauging the man before him—one of his few friends who had lived through the epidemic of Rikkaidai—Inui marveled at the work of time's hands, morphing these two men into complete and utter opposites. The hard, grueling life a docks rat had dug premature lines into Kajimoto's still quite attractive face, but there was a doggedness in his smirks that whispered of danger, of ferocity. Inui had never known of any reason why his friend had refused a job at the castle, but as he had heard tales of an upcoming horror in the back alleys of Seigaku, he had found himself laughing instead of mourning for Kajimoto's chosen occupation. Oh, how time could change a man's heart, indeed.

"Fuji," Inui began with a sigh, "had reasons to return to Rikkaidai, but there have been complications."

"Mn. Go on."

Inui felt Kaidoh shift close to him again. The others in the room had grown quiet. Everyone was listening to what he had to say.

"Well, he was to escort a young lady, but having been separated from his ward, he is most likely in need of assistance."

"A young lady, you say?"

"Princess Sakuno."

The murmurings again erupted from the three gang members.

"Nya! The princess! Hey, hey! I saw her once during a festival. She's really pretty, nya!"

"Huh? Why would the princess go to Rikkaidai?"

"Yeah, I heard it reeks. Pfft."

"Davide, we don't think you're funny! Idiot!"

Kajimoto frowned in annoyance at the trio before ignoring them and speaking again. "So, the beloved princess is wandering around in a country lacking a government. Bad political move."

"Yes," Inui agreed.

"As well as a bad personal move for Fuji," Kajimoto remarked as he again relaxed in his seat. "He is also in Rikkaidai—just away from the girl?"

"He should be, and that is why I wish to follow."

"But why would I be the first you come to, Inui? We may be friends, but I will not participate in this wild goose chase."

"Your ship is fast."

"Ah—as a ship of pirates should be." Kajimoto closed his eyes in thought. "Very well, Inui. I know what you want, and fortunately for you, I don't mind helping out an old friend once in a while."

"Thank you." Inui's eyes regarded Kajimoto penetratingly as the conversation again was placed between them and no one else; the other people in the room dissipated into mist as the room chilled with this change. "I heard that Jyousei has been giving numerous countries problems right now."

Kajimoto nearly winced, but his eyes instead opened to meet the opaque shade over Inui's with a tired annoyance. "You certainly know how to twist the knife, don't you?"

Inui said nothing as he realized that Kajimoto would not have heeded any answer.

"Jyousei's queen is vain. It is only a matter of time that she realize that all of her 'masterpieces' care naught for her. She is alone, and she will fall. It is only a matter of time."

The brunette pulled himself to his feet, ending the discussion. Barking a few orders to the curly-haired man and his tall companion to prepare the boat outside, he carelessly meandered behind Inui's seat. Kaidoh tensed at the other man's suddenly close proximity.

"It is the seventh hour," Inui stated casually as he examined a pocket watch; "How fast exactly is your ship, Kajimoto?"

"I'll have you there by noon," Kajimoto promised. With an afterthought, he murmured words to Inui that the taller man almost did not hear; "No pirates can bother us. I am one of them, and I also am not."

Kajimoto left the room without another word, unnecessary as it was to give further instruction to his friend. The other redhead—the energetic one—all but skipped after his boss's footsteps. Inui stood when he heard the low hiss from Kaidoh.

"Can we really trust these men, Inui?" Kaidoh's eyes glinted.

_No. _"Yes," Inui replied simply, ignoring the splinter of doubt dragged itself across his mind. He had never known why Kajimoto hated castles mostly because he had never bothered to think about it before. Now that he contemplated his friend's words, it seemed painfully obvious. No human masterpiece, after all, is completely flawless.

He then headed for the door, Kaidoh close on his heels.

(...)

The cell was dim, its only source of light being the slotted hole near the ceiling. The secondhand air stank of soggy hay and stale water. But there was another scent that had unnerved Kuwahara as he had carefully stepped down the narrow stairs of the prison. Anger. Despair. Depravity. The very stonework was etched with the words and emotions of Higa's most hopeless creatures. Now, he stood before one of these very creatures. Despite the chain that kept the beast restrained, he felt uneasy facing the crouched form.

He could hear a soft drip of water occasionally plopping onto the ground somewhere behind him—the only noise that seemed to reach this dark cavern underneath the earth's surface. A head rose blearily to look at him, but the face which Kuwahara could barely see was expressionless.

"A house guest," the prisoner rasped in a rarely used voice. "How pleasant."

"Kite," Kuwahara began after gathering his nerve; "Rikkaidai needs your help."

Kite choked a rough laugh as he staggered to his feet. "Really? Well...Rikkaidai can burn for all I care."

Kuwahara drew his lips into a thin line. He had expected this response, so negotiation became necessary.

"You may receive your freedom," he stated as calmly as he could; "if you assist us with the border problems."

Kite was silent, pacing from wall to wall in the small space. The chain grated an ear-splitting wail as he dragged his feet back and forth, pacing like the animal he had become, wary of the intruder. His eyes, although weakened without the assistance of glass, squinted at Kuwahara through the nearly tangible darkness.

"My associates and I believe that you can gather your gang," Kuwahara attempted again. "Surely, they will still follow you." After all, despite being caught at long last, Kite had burned his mark in Higa with his notoriety and brutality. He was a man to be both respected and feared, whatever the situation.

The pacing slowed.

"Freedom," crawled a low voice, "is a luxury no man could ever bestow upon me."

Kuwahara had nothing with which to respond to the prisoner's cryptic words, but he continued with more, unrelated persuasions.

"We will destroy your criminal records, if you completely help us with the Jyousei bandits. Do your part, and you can walk away from all of this a new man." Kuwahara's eyes searched the other man for any reaction, but feeling defeated, he saw none. "What else could you want?"

Kite actually seemed thoughtful at the question. "Time, perhaps," he murmured. "Or that my younger self had received the foresight I now have."

He did not wait for Kuwahara to say anymore whilst he continued. "Very well, sir. If you wish to employ a criminal, you may do so. I trust that you—the more lawful of us—will keep your side of the bargain."

The affirmation was silent, punctuated only by a nod, and Kuwahara left briefly to get the warden.

Even after the years of war and of governing Higa, there were many things that Kuwahara could not and would probably never understand. As he ordered the jail warden to unlock Kite, he knew that there were some people who could never be understood. And as the older man readjusted to the use of his legs and measured each step slowly behind the governor, Kuwahara knew that some fates in life—the destruction of their good government while rogue captains like Kite survived the plague—were unfathomable.

(...)

A name could be deceptive as Yanagi had discovered. He scoured document after document, the yellow pages stained with old ink. Resting his sore eyes, he allowed his gaze to wander to the window, the sun having started its downward dip toward the horizon. It had been late when he and Aoi had arrived back in Rokkaku the night before, but having found himself unable to sleep for long, Yanagi had risen early and had retreated into the safe confines of his study. Recapturing his attention was a glint of light in the corner of his eyes, and he curiously looked at the pendant which innocently hung around a lamp. A leather cord had been looped onto it, creating a necklace, and the small oval hosted an intricate display of artistry—two griffins painstakingly carved into the jade, their wings overlapping to form a curved triangle. The signet was nostalgic to Yanagi as it was the royal emblem that had graced the flags of Rikkaidai before the fall of the king and prince. Therefore, it was ironic that a child like Akaya would have been in possession of such a necklace—a lingering question that had recently given Yanagi reasons to ponder.

"Mr. Yanagi!" A voice interrupted his thoughts.

Yanagi heard his assistant calling before the young man entered the room.

"Aoi," he greeted. "You have dispatched the message to Queen Hanamura then?"

"Yes, sir," Aoi said with a grin and a salute.

"Good."

Yanagi rubbed his eyes a little before looking again at the paper in his hands. Long lists of names met his bloodshot eyes—death records from Shitenhouji during the year that the plague had begun. The document was a loathsome sight to behold, the names and ages of the victims varying to a frightening degree, but it was not death that he searched for. Rather, turning his attention to a much shorter document, he searched the records of births in Shitenhouji.

"Birth records, Mr. Yanagi?" Aoi questioned curiously as he peered over his superior's shoulder.

"Indeed," Yanagi replied, gesturing that the boy sit. "Sad to say, though, infants had a high mortality rate during this time. Many of these names have a death date only a few days following their birthday."

"Oh. I can never remember when the plague actually happened."

Yanagi looked across the desk to where Aoi sat. "A few years after you were born—about thirteen years, I would think." He resisted a sigh as a mirage of memories dropped into his mind like an unwanted rain shower. "The plague hardly lasted a year, yet...its damage was immeasurable."

Aoi whistled a sigh. "It's weird to think about it. I was too young to really understand any of it."

Yanagi's smile nearly seemed bitter as the creases by the corner of his eyes deepened. "Was there anyone wise enough to understand the tragedy?"

Following a question too fathomless to be considered, silence answered in its soft, whispering manner. The two men were too captivated by their own thoughts of things that they could never explain themselves. It was Aoi who dared to venture again into the present.

"Mr. Yanagi? What are you looking for in these records?" Aoi picked one of the sheets up, scanning over the names. "I can help you look for a name."

Yanagi inadvertently looked at the pendant where it innocently hung.

"You may help, Aoi," he told the young man; "but I am not sure what name to look for."

This disclosure took the assistant by surprise as Yanagi would have expected anyone to react. However, when his reason for searching the birth records was to find some evidence of parenthood, how could he explain the dilemma to his helper? He wasn't even sure if the person he was looking for was born in Shitenhouji. The capital was merely the most logical location.

"There is a name you may look for, but it is not the family name," Yanagi explained briefly. "The family name is what I need to know."

Aoi did not ask further questions when he was given the other name, and Yanagi was not going to explain unless asked to. He simply gave half of the papers to Aoi and took half of them himself, searching for a shadow that tauntingly remained out of reach.

(...)

The day had been long, and as Sanada walked from Sengoku's shop, the stress from the past few days lay upon his shoulders like iron weights. He had formed a group who would be willing to follow him, and he needed to return to the manor as soon as possible to prepare for that night's departure.

_Sengoku, Niou, Akutsu, Akaya. _He listed the names in his head. _We'll leave tonight by nightfall. The journey to Higa should take the entire night. _

As much as he would rather ignore the situation, the question about Tetsuya arose in the back of his mind, a nagging presence that would quiet itself only once he had dealt with it. He did not think of her during his meeting with the other governors, but after Yanagi's questioning, he had decided that the most practical solution would be to let her stay. He would not turn her out only because of his absence. After all, Yagyuu would stay behind, and he was a trustworthy man. Doubt was a tenacious seedling, however, and once planted between Sanada's ears, he remembered that he knew nothing about this stranger who had ghosted into his company as unexpectedly as she.

Sanada could not deny that the child fascinated him. When he had first met her at the logging site, he still thought of her as a boy—albeit an extremely timid and clumsy boy. Having already received a message from Kuwahara about the border thieves, he had been lax about her performance while his mind was preoccupied with other matters. But he had watched her the second day of work. He felt responsible for her as he had been so indifferent the evening before, but frustrated as he may have been for her blinding greenness, he had been encouraged by her perseverance as a worker. Still a mere boy in his eyes, he had begun to believe that she would grow out of her city-legs—as it was obvious to him that the child was clueless about trees and the outdoors. Then she was injured, and her ploy had been revealed to all. A mixture of shock and self-reproach assaulted Sanada the entire night that the newly female Tetsuya had remained unconscious. Afterwards, her demonstration of stubbornness and hardheadedness the following day when she actually had the gall to argue with him was unusual for her, but then again, she had been stuttering the entire time as she seemed to do when nervous or cornered.

On the other hand, he recalled the curious duel that he had with the child that very morning, and Sanada finally came to the conclusion that Tetsuya was a walking enigma.

_She is not the first mystery that I have met, though. _A little voice in the back of his mind begged to not remembered, but pictures of splendor and lushness filtered into his eyesight—the picture of a Rikkaidai from long ago.

_"Lieutenant Sanada, this is not a demotion but a great privilege. I trust that you will be an excellent guard for His Majesty's son."_

_ "Yes, sir." _

A version of himself, much younger and much more naive, had spoken those words with the same determination and obedience that any fiercely loyal soldier would have. After sustaining a crippling knee injury, he had been removed from the battlefield during the brief war with Jyousei, but he had been surprised when he had been taken to the palace to be the prince's escort.

_The prince was both shorter and paler than he, but Sanada knew where his respects lay. He clasped a hand over his heart and bowed deeply to the boy._

The sun was staining the sky above him, and he quickened his step, nodding a greeting to a fellow pedestrian.

_Sanada first noticed the resemblance between Seiichi and the boy's mother when he had met the queen at a social. She was soft-spoken and elegant, but her eyes were strong as stone. When she spoke, those around her always listened though she never raised her voice or spoke rudely. _

_ Seiichi—Sanada observed—had the same cold fire that always smoldered quietly behind every hand gesture, every small smile. Nevertheless, he remained like his mother and never demanded respect. Rather, he expected it. _

Sanada had been wary of the royal family at first—loyal but always distant. Seiichi had been adamant to break through these barriers, and soon, Sanada found his presence requested by the prince on numerous occasions.

_"Hyotei has one prince. He's the same age as I," Seiichi explained with a smile._

_ Sanada listened intently as the prince had explained to him that it was important to be aware of fellow countries' rulers and politics. It improved relations and negotiations._

_ "Queen Hanamura has no children or a husband. How she will continue her kingdom is yet to be decided, it seems." Seiichi's finger traveled across the paper until it rested on the map of Seigaku. "They have a king—Nanjiroh Echizen. He has two children. Twins and very young, one is a boy, and the other is a girl. I think their names are Ryoma and Sakuno."_

Sanada had only been a lieutenant at the time, but his superiors had praised his potential, making it clear that a higher rank was awaiting him. When his injury had healed, the war with Jyousei was still raging, and the soldier in Sanada had been growing restless.

_The two of them had just returned from riding. The day was gloriously bright and cheery, the colors of spring bursting throughout the forests surrounding the capital. Sanada smiled as Seiichi laughed during the retelling of a tale about how one of the kitchen boys accidentally let some of the barn dogs inside. The sparring fields and gardens bordered each other, and as Seiichi intercepted a squire for conversation, Sanada had turned by an ivy-covered arch into the garden. _

_ He paused when he saw the queen and her own escort sitting on a bench nearly hidden by the azalea bushes around them. The captain's hand gently cupped her face as he spoke to her—the words too soft for Sanada to grasp, but he could see how the queen leaned into the touch. When Seiichi joined Sanada, the queen and the captain had just pulled away from a kiss, but thankfully, Seiichi had seen none of the interaction. _

_ "Mother, Captain Kite." His smile widened as he approached the couple who had since stood as though they, too, had only been walking through the gardens innocently. _

_ Sanada met the gaze of the other soldier, knowing that the older man had noticed his presence earlier. Neither of them said a word._

He met Akutsu and Akaya at some point in the village, but all of them silently moved on toward the manor. This jaunt to the Higa-Jyousei border was much too familiar to the time when he had returned to the battlefront, and the realization disturbed Sanada.

_"You are returning to the front soon, Genichirou?" The prince seemed outwardly calm, but there was a tremor in his voice that bothered Sanada. "And as a captain, too. You certainly deserve the honor."_

_ Sanada did not know what to say, and he inwardly cursed his inability with words._

_ "Some things are simply the way they are, Genichirou."_

Those words had haunted him for days afterwards.

_Yanagi seemed battered, but beyond the bandaged wound on his arm, he was moving easily without pain. _

_ "General Watanabe said that the northwestern flank of their army is weakening, and if we advance soon, we may take the remnant by surprise before any reinforcements arrive," Yanagi faithfully reiterated the army's current situation to him._

_ Sanada's thoughts were elsewhere, though he tried to listen to his friend's words. Of course, Yanagi noticed such negligence of attention. _

_ "Are you alright, Genichirou?" _

_ Sanada shook his head slightly, as if to cast off the distracting thoughts of Shitenhouji. "It is nothing, Renji."_

_ Yanagi let the topic drop by only saying, "It must be bittersweet to return here."_

It may have been a couple of days or a couple of months later when the first message arrived. Men were collapsing in the fields; babies were dying during the night; children and grandparents alike were finding themselves unable to breathe anymore. Those marked with disease were being quarantined, but the sudden and unexplainable illness still spread like wildfire. There was panic in Rikkaidai, and the dispute with Jyousei was surrendered. Sanada remembered the deserted streets when he had returned to Shitenhouji. The few people he did see had carefully avoided crossing paths with anyone else.

_"Genichirou, you're back." The prince jogged to the soldier when Sanada had come into his line of sight. "How are you?"_

_ "Alive, Your Highness," he answered with a bow._

_ A wrinkle deepened between Seiichi's eyebrows, and Sanada found himself thinking the boy too young to have such a mark._

_ "I suppose that is good enough, considering the situation," Seiichi said with a tight smile, and answering the question that Sanada's curiosity longed to ask but would never dare, the prince dipped his head as he affirmed that his mother had recently passed the week before._

_ "I am sorry."_

_ Seiichi tugged on his sleeve and Sanada hoped that the yellowish bruises on the boy's wrist had only been the work of his imagination. _

_ "Some things simply are the way they are, Genichirou."_

_ Three days later, the prince became bedridden, and few guests were allowed. Four days following the isolation, Seiichi was dead. _

The trio reached the manor, and Yagyuu met the group outside. He explained to Akaya and Akutsu that they would be traveling as lightly and quickly as possible. Yagyuu took them around the house where he had been packing the horses. Somewhat unsure when he had entered the house, Sanada found himself standing in the kitchen, but he distractedly listened to Niou as the silver-haired man discussed what weapons would be taken with their group. When Yagyuu stepped in the room briefly to tell them that Sengoku had arrived, Sanada was left alone to his thoughts.

_ "I have little time left." The king was old, but never before had he appeared so gaunt, as though brush of a finger would snap the string and paper that kept the ailing man's body intact. _

_ Sanada looked at the three other men standing before the king. All of them were young, but in part, that was the reason they had been chosen._

_ "When I die, I expect that the four of you may keep Rikkaidai the glorious nation that it is."_

_ None of them had the heart to tell the king how desolate that "glorious" nation had become in the past year. _

_ "A line must always meet its end, and it should seem that the Yukimura line is finished," the king sighed. A strange light formed behind the glaze in his eyes as he murmured to himself over and over again, "Yes, there is no heir. It is finished. Seiichi is dead. There is no heir."_

_ Yanagi stood beside Sanada. "I doubt he will last the night," Yanagi whispered to him. "He is already delusional."_

_ "Hm." Sanada did not know what else to say._

_ "Genichirou?"_

"Mr. Sanada?"

The governor was yanked from his thoughts as a soft voice said his name. He turned around to see Tetsuya standing in the doorway of the kitchen, looking worried.

"Yes?" he managed to say.

The girl seemed embarrassed now that he had responded to her presence, but she said something about how he had been muttering to himself and that she wanted to know if he was alright. Not even aware of what reassurance he gave her, he nodded. Tetsuya seemed unsure of what to do next, especially as Sanada fixed her with an unusually piercing stare, but when she turned to leave, Sanada surprised both of them by asking a question.

"Just who are you?"

She flinched before looking at him slowly. Obviously, it was a question that she had been dreading.

"What do you mean?" she stalled with a small, weak voice, her eyes wide.

"I hardly know anymore," he muttered; "Just a name, if anything."

She bit her lip.

"I won't turn you out if that is why you are hesitant."

He tried to be patient as her unease worsened despite his reassurance. He was not even sure why he insistently wanted to know her name. Maybe Niou was right in that it was strange to refer to a girl with a boy's name, but at the same time, Sanada was just curious. It would be of no use to know her name once he had left, and for all he knew, she would be gone when he returned.

She whispered something, but he did not initially notice it. When he looked at her questioningly, she hung her head, a curtain of short hair sliding in front of her face as she repeated herself.

"Sakuno. My name is Sakuno."

He nodded, his eyes lifting to the window. He repeated the name to himself.

"It is more fitting than Tetsuya," he told the girl who seemed relieved by his statement as though she had been expecting a scolding for merely saying her name.

Sakuno blushed slightly, and Sanada still felt bothered by what all had transpired the past couple of days as he looked at her. He told her that she could return to whatever she had been doing before, but as she again stepped onto the threshold of the door, a traitorous voice that sounded painfully like Seiichi slithered into his mind, reminding him of something.

_Twins. A boy and a girl. Ryoma and Sakuno. _

"_Princess_ Sakuno?" Sanada said the words, not truly believing them himself.

But he found himself a little more convinced when the combination of the two words compelled Sakuno to trip.

"You're a princess?!"

"Well, you're a governor!"

"That's not the same as royalty!"

Sakuno was pressed against the side of the door, staring at him with deer-eyes, and Sanada was certain that his expression was no less shocked than hers. With all the problems with Jyousei, he certainly did not need another country finding reason to attack Rikkaidai.

"Hey, lovebirds, what's with all the noise?" Niou had sauntered to the door leading outside where Yagyuu also appeared behind him.

"The others are concerned," Yagyuu stated, though Niou's grin spoke otherwise.

"Ah, there's nothing wrong here. Just a little marital spat," the silver-haired man sarcastically observed.

His head already beginning to ache, Sanada took turns glaring at Niou, silently imploring for help from Yagyuu, and staring incredulously at the runaway princess who looked as though she were desperately trying not to cry. Whatever gods watching over him at the moment must have hated him.

(...)

Taichi waved goodbye to Muromachi as the older boy walked down a separate road to the boarding house where he stayed. Continuing on his way alone, Taichi tried to suppress his loneliness; it had been unexpected when Sanada had requested that Akutsu and Akaya accompany him to Higa. Well, specifically, Akutsu had been asked while Akaya opted to follow. They hadn't allowed Taichi the details, but the boy had heard gossip about the border problems. He could only hope that his brother and Akaya would be safe.

His step skipped a little when he saw Taka and his friend down the road, speaking to some vendors at a vegetable stall. He walked a little faster to meet them, hoping that their luck for the day had been good. Taka stood behind Fuji as the smaller man was speaking to one of the vendors and holding a hand out above the ground.

"He's about this tall," were the first words that Taichi heard when he was close. "Short brown hair, brown eyes, pale or possibly sunburned."

Taichi paused. He had not known earlier that it was a person they were looking for. Taka noticed him and gave a small wave, and when Taichi joined the pair, the boy resisted the urge to start asking questions.

"Is there a name?" asked one of the vendors, a brunette his forefinger pointed up.

"Yes, yes, a name would be helpful," remarked the other vendor, a rosy-cheeked man with his finger pointed as well.

"His name is Tetsuya," Fuji told them.

"What?!"

Everyone jumped a little when Taichi burst.

"I know Tetsuya, please!" Taichi rapidly explained; "Mr. Sanada hired him!"

"Mr. Sanada?" Fuji looked confused.

"The governor," Taka clarified; "wait, the _governor_ hired her?"

"Her?" Taichi immediately picked up the dubious word.

"A-ah, what I meant was, uh—"

"Taka, wait," Fuji interrupted, eyeing Taichi for the first time. "You said you knew Tetsuya. Can you take us to her?"

The word _her_ still floated uneasily about Taichi, but he nodded in reply to the inquiry. "Yes. He is staying with Mr. Sanada, please."

Fuji's shoulders sagged with relief. Taka moved to catch him should he lean back to far, but he stayed standing, his eyes never wavering from their fixation on Taichi.

"Good. Unbelievable, but good," the blue-eyed man murmured.

As there was still about an hour of daylight remaining, Taichi offered to take them up to the manor right away. Deciding it best to not share, however, he remained silent about the soon departure of Sanada and his party. Fuji straightened at the suggestion and stepped toward the smaller boy. Taka unconsciously reached a hand and lightly grasped the lithe man's shoulder. As much as Taichi wished to ask questions, he assumed that taking them to Tetsuya would allow him to speak with him…or her, as Fuji and Taka both said.

But before they could walk off, the two odd vendors who had been the silent spectators during all of the previous conversation now spoke up.

"Wait," the brunette called; "surely we could interest you in some rutabagas."

"Yes, yes," piped up the rosy-cheeked man; "we have the best in town."

"Sorry, please," Taichi called as Fuji had already ventured back onto the road anxiously. "Another time, please!"

And off they went, though for whom exactly, Taichi did wonder.

**CHAPTER 8 – END**

A/N: Why rutabagas? Because that word makes me laugh. (Whoever did not catch on, the vendors were Nitobe and Kita from the Yamabuki regulars.)

Main things I want to point out: Kirihara shall be referred to as "Akaya" now, for various reasons. And the rating is being bumped to T, for more various reasons.

Other than that, I apologize again for the terrible delay, but regardless, I thank you for reading the eight installment of this fanfic.


End file.
